


Burn the heathen

by Eyho (Angel1622)



Series: Eyho's college track and field ZoSan AU [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Idiots in Love, M/M, NaNoWriMo2020, Serious Injuries, Slow Burn, Sports Rivalry, Track and Field AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29308716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel1622/pseuds/Eyho
Summary: As the days left until the prefecture championships are numbered and passing faster than he'd like to, Zoro's in quite the struggle. Not to mention hecan'tgo on taking advantage of the relationship he has with the cook. It doesn't help at all that the guy is straight as a line and anything but into men, though.What's worse, it turns out athletics aren't as bright as they seem to be when the stakes get higher.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Series: Eyho's college track and field ZoSan AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142000
Comments: 23
Kudos: 74





	1. Introducing a new friend - Chopper!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there!  
> There it is - the second arc of my Track and field AU! I'm so happy to have all of you guys enjoy this journey with me, hope we'll have lots of fun together!
> 
> Note: I don't think this thing can be read as a stand-alone (although to all of you who haven't read the previous part, faint heart never won fair lady!)

Snowflakes kept falling down lazily, settling down on the pavements and grass around. Zoro covered his nose with the scarf he was wearing. He hated when it was cold like that. Technically, he _could_ walk without his coat and all of that - he’d actually rather that - but Brook would personally cut his head off if he found out about it.

Also, the scarf wasn’t his. He had to borrow it from the shitty cook. Most of the practices were moved to a small, covered hall or the gym. One time Zoro came in with an unbuttoned coat and nothing else, Brook’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Which was why the following day, Sanji just threw the piece of fabric at him and said to _cover himself up._

Winter was also the time when Brook said it was the time to build up some muscle mass and focus on endurance and technique. Zoro and Sanji were also supposed to meet up and train together in the park or at the stadium without the coaches. And so, he ended up walking to the track with the cook’s scarf keeping his neck warm.

At least he didn’t have to go a long way - Sanji called him a while earlier to say they were going to run in the stadium either way. _Generous of him_ , _huh_. Zoro scoffed, thinking about the bastard’s cocky tone he always had when talking on the phone.

It wasn’t like anything much had changed between them for those couple of weeks. Perhaps the cook wasn’t as closed at him as he was before. Perhaps Zoro hung out in the blonde’s apartment a little more often. It was like a drug. Every time he was there, his mind was already searching for another occasion to stop by.

That one argument they had back then, Sanji seemed to have left it behind already, for which Zoro was silently grateful. Even though he still thought about that day sometimes. It haunted him.

_Sanji never speaks about his family._

Getting to know all about the cook’s family was never one of Zoro’s goals, but what Nami told him back then was more than that. The feeling of _trust._ That was what he wanted. To have Sanji trust him, to feel safe by his side, to…

“Hey, eyes here, mosshead.” Sanji waved a hand in front of Zoro’s eyes, which was probably a form of greeting. “It’ll get dark if we spend the whole time standing here like pillars of salt and staring into nothing.”

“Aren’t you chatty today, shitty cook?” He replied, the corners of his mouth rising up slightly.

“Isn’t that a nice scarf you’ve got there?” The blonde answered the question with another one. “Let’s go, already, I don’t have the whole day to spend here.”

Zoro slowly followed him to the stadium, the cold air filling his nostrils and lungs as he took a deep breath. The smell of tartan was only dim at this time of the year. Good thing the janitors were kind enough to clean the two first lines from the thin layer of snow. Zoro didn’t mind running in difficult conditions, but a clean surface was always a nice touch.

“All right.” Sanji spoke up, putting his bag on the ground and taking his coat off. “So, Brook said we’re doing intervals today. Ten times four-hundreds.”

“I bet he’d like to see us spit our lungs out if he could.” Zoro retorted vapishly, his mind generating the image of the tall man standing beside him with that _yohohoho_ of his. “He’s a devoted sadist, isn’t he.”

“Well, that’s what we all love him for.” The blonde said, a sudden change in his tone piquing Zoro’s attention. “Do you know why we keep calling this year _special_?”

“Not really.” He shook his head, giving it a thought. “I noticed all of you mentioning it a couple of times since I joined, but that’s all.”

“Ah, I see.” Sanji looked away for a moment. A moment of silence passed. “You’ve surely noticed coach Brook isn’t young, haven’t you? Well, he’s been training people for _decades_ now. And, you know, time comes for everyone eventually...”

“Wait.” Zoro interrupted him, his eyes widening slightly. “You don’t mean he’s _retiring_?”

Silence fell between them. Silence that told him more than a thousand words.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He said, taking a step back.

“I know you came here because of him…” The cook spoke quietly. “That’s why we didn’t want to tell you, but you have to know. Well, since it’s a big deal, we all decided on making this year Grand Line’s greatest of all time. His proteges have won numerous medals at the nationals…” His eyes shone. “But never _twice_ in one year. It was always a single person.”

Zoro hummed.

“So, I take it we’re all going for the medals?” He asked.

“Of course we are.” The cook’s teeth flashed as he grinned. “Because our shitty coach deserves it like no one else in the world.”

Zoro mimicked the expression, but his thoughts wandered off in completely different directions. If Brook was going to leave, he should probably tell Koshiro about it. The man would most likely tell him to already start looking for a new coach before the year’s over. To transfer _again_.

And usually, Zoro would just shrug it off and change his place or residence like he always had, maybe only regretting leaving the town a little, it was really nice and he had a bus station a hundred meters from the dorm, so it was easy to get anywhere relatively fast.

But it wasn’t so easy in the case of Thousand Sunny. For some reason, the thought of leaving that bunch of weirdos made him feel bitter. Moving on without hearing the word _cool_ in the same meaning anymore. Not going out with Luffy and Usopp anymore. Not getting drunk with Nami, the strongest drinking rival he’d ever crossed.

Not being able to see Sanji ever again

“Is everything okay, mosshead?” The cook cocked an eyebrow. “I’m sorry for not telling you earlier, but Luffy and the others really got a liking to you. I didn’t really want to ruin that for them… it was selfish, I know.”

“No.” Zoro shook his head. “I could’ve asked any of you. And don’t worry, curlybrows, I’m not leaving the club until we make the shitty coach cry at the nationals, you get it?”

A moment of silence passed. The blonde smiled widely, his eyes lightening up slightly.

“Yeah.” He said eventually. “This time, it’s going to be us who bring Brook to tears. It definitely will.”

Zoro grinned, nodding. So what if he’d have to tell Koshiro about the situation sooner or later. For now, he just wanted to spend a little more time with that group of oddballs. The loud lot who somehow managed to make him feel attached to them in a way. His _friends._

* * *

He knew Sanji was amazing at clearing the obstacles, but watching it from a closer distance made him think the word _amazing_ was an understatement of the century.

_Hey, mosshead. Care to help me with jumping over those obstacles?_

At first, Zoro was slightly skeptical of the idea, given that he knew absolutely _nothing_ about hurdle running, and he wasn’t even a coach to begin with. But it wasn’t like he had anything better to do anyway. And it wasn’t like Sanji walked up to him asking for help every other day.

“And, how was it?” The cook raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “I feel like I started the jump a little too early.”

“I think it was fine.” Zoro shrugged with utter honesty. “But maybe you should think about landing more smoothly. Like, if you pushed that trail leg a little further, maybe you’d be a little faster.”

Sanji gave him a look full of curiosity, and after a moment of silence smirked mischievously. Zoro cocked an eyebrow. He knew that smile way too well. The cook had an idea he most probably wasn’t going to like.

“I’ll think about it.” Sanji said, humming slightly. “But how about you gave it a try?”

 _Ha._ There it was.

“Me?” Zoro raised his eyebrows, smirking. “That thing looks like it would break my leg if I approached it.”

“It’s not _that_ bad.” The cook laughed, shaking his head. “But I’m not talking about the barriers. You could try getting over a hurdle.”

“I don’t think it’s the best of ideas.” The other teen potested, still skeptical of the blonde’s sly smirk.

“Come on, you’ll see how much fun it is.” Sanji raised an eyebrow. “Or do I take it you’re chickening out?”

“No way.” Zoro’s mouth reacted before his brain got the chance. “Alright, you got me, shitty cook. Show me the goddamn thing and I’ll jump over it, but only once.”

All that he got in response was a chuckle.

* * *

“It wasn’t _that_ bad.” Sanji told him on his way back. “Of course, there’s no way you’d do it technically correctly, but you got over it just fine. Now, wasn’t it fun?”

“I still don’t get what you see in jumping over four of those every lap you run.” Zoro said, shrugging. “Plus the water jump. Doesn’t seem exciting at all, if you ask me.”

It was honestly a lie, but he figured the blonde would see through it nonetheless. He now knew _way_ too well why the cook’s event was the steeplechase. The feeling of being over the barrier or hurdle, and landing on the other side without touching it - it was something Luffy would surely call _cool_.

“You know I’d never doubt you, moss-for-brains.” Sanji retorted ironically, snorting. “I know you liked it.”

Zoro didn’t give him the pleasure of getting a precise answer, only humming in response. Neither of them spoke up for a longer moment, letting calm silence fall in between. 

It wasn’t awkward or full of tension like it used to. Zoro actually started to like it. The feeling of comfort when walking with someone in silence. Without the urge to speak up.

“Why did you choose steeplechase?” He asked eventually. “Or, running in general?”

“What do you mean?” The cook asked, taking out a cigarette and lighting it up.

“I mean, I know you’re not planning to become a professional athlete.” Zoro said bluntly. “You’ve got great talent, but you don’t really seem like you cared about it.”

“Carry on, I’d love to hear more compliments.” Sanji blew out a cloud of smoke, the tone of his voice changing slightly. Zoro knew he was entering dangerous waters.

“First of all, you smoke way _too much_ for someone who’d want to do sport seriously in the future.” He said, pointing his head at the cigarette the blonde was holding. “And you never really say anything about running being an important part of your life.”

“And that was all you needed to pull out such an assumption, I believe?”

“What I needed was the fact that I’ve seen you running and I’ve seen you _cooking_ , curlybrows.”

A moment of silence passed. Zoro couldn’t see the cook’s eyes due to the curtain of golden hair covering them. Sanji took another drag of his cigarette, holding the smoke in for a moment before letting it out slowly.

“Just stop dancing around the issue and ask the goddamn question, mosshead.” He sighed half-heartedly. Zoro nodded slowly, taking a moment to think carefully about his next words.

“If you’re so good at preparing food, and it’s clearly your element…” He paused for a moment. “...Why didn’t you go to a culinary school? I’m pretty sure you’d like it better than here, wouldn’t you?”

Sanji sighed, letting the hand holding the smoke fall by his side, and looked up.

“What about you?” He answered the question with another one. “Why not kendo? Why would you suddenly change your mind? I heard you were pretty good at it.”

Zoro’s eyes widened slightly. He didn’t expect _that_ question. A set of images slid through his head. Kuina and him practicing. Their promise. The anger combined with excitement he felt back then. The day she died. Koshiro locked in his room, with a photo of her and a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

“Koshiro is a master of the sword.” Zoro said slowly, taking a deep breath. “He’s one of the best swordsmen I’ve ever met. He had a daughter, named Kuina. Even though she was a girl, she was able to beat experienced kendo instructors at a young age. She clearly inherited her father’s talent.”

Sanji didn’t interrupt him, and he knew the blonde’s attention was fully on him at the moment.

“I was always going against her, and lost multiple times.” A part of him grimaced slightly at the confession. “She was surely going to become a champion. Maybe even the world’s greatest. But, well, life sucks sometimes."

“...She died.” Sanji said quietly, putting the cigarette in his mouth and letting it hang loosely between his lips. “Didn’t she?”

Zoro nodded silently, feeling thankful to the blonde for saying it out loud for him.

“Koshiro was absolutely shattered back then.” He continued, looking up. “He started drinking a little too much. People are absolutely unpredictable when they’re drunk, cook. At first, he was just miserable, but after some time… he started taking his pain out on me.”

Another set of images slid through his hair. Koshiro, standing in the dim light with an unsheathed sword. Zoro, trying to fight him off. The flash of a blade coming in his direction. Pain radiating from his chest, and a dark, warm liquid on his hands. Koshiro calling an ambulance.

“One night, he went a little too far.” Zoro said, clenching his fist around the fabric on his chest. “That’s when he told me to get away from him. To pick up a new sport discipline and climb to the very top, but never come back. He’s always covered all the expenses connected to my education and accomodation. There was only one condition.”

Sanji took the cigarette butt out of his mouth and blew out a trail of smoke, throwing the remnants of his smoke onto the pavement and stepping on it.

“Then, what was the deal with the devil?” He asked, without a trail of mockery or irony in his voice. Zoro looked at him. The blonde’s face was completely unreadable.

“He was the one to choose where and with whom I train.” He admitted eventually, knowing that the cook would understand what it meant. He was a really intelligent person, after all.

“So…” The cook said, his voice quieter than before. “I take it you won’t be staying here for too long, will you?”

A moment of silence passed. Then, another.

“I probably won’t.” Zoro nodded slowly, hiding his hands in the pockets of his coat. “But I can’t know that for sure. A lot of things can change in the following few months. Moreover, I’ll be free to do whatever I want after my twenty-first birthday.”

“Two years, huh.” It wasn’t really a question. The cook sighed. “Well, now that you’ve answered my question, I guess I’ll have to answer yours.”

Zoro honestly didn’t expect that kind of reaction from the cook. But he wouldn’t give him the pleasure of saying it out loud.

“You asked why I didn’t go to a culinary school.” The blonde stated, looking up. “Well, the answer is a lot simpler than in your case. Judge told me to get some proper education so that… _if_ I ever change my mind, I won’t have problems with finding myself another profession.”

“It seems like a fair deal to me.” Zoro said. _So why were the cook’s eyes so blank when he spoke about it? Why did he always call his father by his name, just like he did with Koshiro? And how the hell did he manage to convince Zoro to tell him about Kuina?_

“...Yes.” The cook nodded after a moment of hesitation. “But luckily, I’ve got the old geezer and Baratie, so it could be way worse, you know.”

“ _Old geezer_?” The other teen echoed, raising his eyebrows.

“The man running that place, owner Zeff.” Sanji explained, sighing. “He’s a pain in the ass sometimes, trust me.”

Surprisingly for both of them, Zoro laughed at those words. He watched the blonde send him a questioning look, but took his time before answering.

“You just sounded like a moody teenager complaining about his parents.” He said eventually, smiling widely and taking a deep breath.

“I really did?” The cook asked, for some reason looking like the other teen’s words got him into a better mood. “Well, I guess he _is l_ ike a parent to me… oh, we’re already there.” He said when they reached the block of flats he lived in. “Well, moss-for-brains, I’d say it was a pleasure training with you, but you pant way too loudly when you run.”

A mischievous smirk ran through Sanji’s face, and Zoro mimicked the expression, raising his eyebrows.

“I wouldn’t forget who ran the last interval faster if I were you, curlybrows.” He said with a voice full of superiority, watching his words take their intended effect at the blonde.

“And if I were you, I wouldn’t forget who almost killed themself trying to jump over a hurdle.” Sanji retorted, cocking an eyebrow and turning the key in its lock, opening the door. “We’ll finish that talk later. My shift starts soon and I can’t go to a restaurant looking like I’ve just finished a running practice with a musclehead whose head is covered in a pile of moss.”

“And you probably will, if you spend the rest of the day standing in the doorframe and bitching about my hair.” Zoro retorted, chuckling when the blonde closed the door right in front of his nose. With a smirk, he turned around, walking away and heading towards the dorm.

* * *

“Hey, guys, look who’s there!” Luffy exclaimed, after opening the door of his flat. “It’s Nami and Chopper!”

Zoro turned his head in the direction of the entrance. Indeed, the person who’d just come was, without doubt, Nami. There was also a young-looking boy with her, who he surely hadn’t met before.

“I’m sorry, I’m a little late.” Nami said, smiling apologetically. “But look who I found on my way here! Isn’t it a happy coincidence?”

“I had no idea you were here, Chopper!” Luffy’s teeth flashed in a wide grin. “Why didn’t you say anything? You should’ve told me!”

“Well, Doctorine and I decided to stay here for a couple of weeks.” The boy - Chopper - replied, smiling slightly. “She said she wanted to take care of some stuff here with the local doctors. We’ve only moved today, and Nami found me when I was trying to find my way around the town…”

“Oh, so you’ll be staying for longer?” Usopp sounded really excited. “That’s great! Have you finally decided on what university to choose? I heard you’re doing great at your high school.”

“Your compliments don’t make me happy in the slightest, idiot.” Chopper scolded him, holding back a smile. Zoro narrowed his eyes. _He surely did look happy._

“Oh, right, Zoro!” Luffy turned his head. “You two haven’t met before, right?”

“I don’t think so.” Chopper shook his head slightly, walking towards Zoro and reaching out his hand. “My name’s Tony, but you can call me Chopper.”

“Zoro.” He said shortly, shaking the boy’s hand. “So, how come all of you know one another? You’re not from here as far as I know.”

“Oh, well…” Tony’s voice was a little hesitant, but Zoro didn’t blame him for it. There was a great difference in height between them, not to mention the obvious age gap. “Well, we met a couple of times at athletic meetings. I sometimes volunteer as a paramedic on such events.”

“So, you want to become a doctor in the future?” Zoro cocked an eyebrow. The boy nodded energetically, but before he had the chance to respond, Nami’s fiery head appeared between them.

“You two already know one another?” She asked curiously, smiling at Tony.

“We just met.” Zoro retorted shortly, clearly giving her the obvious sign she interrupted their conversation. Whether she ignored it on purpose or didn’t pay enough attention to him, the suggestion missed her completely.

“That’s great.” Nami nodded to herself. “Chopper is a brilliant medic. His mentor - lady Kureha - is one of the best doctors in the whole country, and this young guy doesn’t really give her way. Even though he’s still in high school.”

“Stop it, Nami.” The boy’s face flushed bright red. “Such words don’t make me happy at all, you know.”

“Plus, he’s horrible at taking compliments.” The redhead winked at Zoro with a sly smirk. “So try not to spoil him too much.” Zoro huffed slightly, following her walking away with his eyes. His eyes turned back to Chopper.

“So you already _are_ a doctor, huh?” He asked, taking one of the plastic cups, probably filled with some cheap alcohol, and chugging half of it down in one go.

“Well, I theoretically _can_ help people, but I don’t have all the needed papers to work yet.” Chopper said, wrinkling his nose slightly. “But it’s not like I’m in a hurry to find a job. Doctorine always tells me working is a pain in the ass. And besides, as long as she’s working, I can help her.”

“I see.” Zoro nodded, pouring the latter half of the liquid into his mouth and swallowing it, letting the warmth flood his body. He smirked at the boy. “Well, I’ve never met a doctor informally before, but you seem quite smart for someone your age. Most high schoolers can’t wait to grow up.”

“Well, not every high schooler assists working people in their job...” Tony retorted, looking closely at the plastic vessel in Zoro’s hand. “Hey, can I have some of that?"

* * *

Many propositions were made, but no one really wanted to play _truth or dare_ anytime soon, given they all still remembered the day after, so they eventually chose to do a movie night. Luffy and Usopp prepared the couch and cleaned up the room, Chopper volunteered to help Sanji with making some snacks, which ultimately left Zoro the difficulty of choosing what exactly they were going to watch.

The problem was, he wasn’t alone. He had Nami looking over one of his shoulders and Franky on the other side. Compromising those two seemed purely impossible.

“We should totally watch something with rrrobots in it!” Franky exclaimed energetically. “And maybe fighting, like in _Real Steel_!”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Nami protested. “Robots punching one another totally aren’t it for today. We could watch something more serious, like _The sixth sense._ It’s a beautiful movie.”

“But it’s boring.” The giant sighed, shaking his head. “We need more explosions! Like in _Transforrrmers_!”

“ _Everyone_ has already seen it a thousand times.” Nami rolled her eyes. “It’s a classic. But we can always watch _V for Vendetta_ if you want the explosions so badly.”

“No, it was my ex-girlfriend’s favourite movie.” Franky protested. “If I’m going to watch it _once_ more in my life, I’m probably going to puke.”

“Then give me a senseful proposition!” The redhead’s voice sounded really impatient. “I’m trying to come up with something, too, if you haven't noticed.”

“It’s not my fault you don’t like action movies.” Franky said back. Zoro’s brow twitched in annoyance. “They’re superrr cool!”

“A good film isn’t only about one musclehead beating the crap out of another!” Nami crossed her arms. “I say we choose something deeper than just some men punching and shooting one another.”

“Then give us a good proposition!”

“I’ve already done that, but you called it _boring_!”

“Can you two just shut up for a moment?” Zoro asked, sighing and looking back at his phone. “If you can’t decide on what we’re watching, let’s do it the high-school way and just watch some horror movie.”

A moment of silence passed. He watched the two standing in front of him exchange looks, the atmosphere suddenly tensing slightly. The three of them stayed like that until Nami finally spoke up, not breaking eye contact with the cyborg.

“Fine.” She said, nodding slightly. “But we’re watching _The Ring_.”

“Come on, Nami, it’s not even scary!” Franky protested.

Zoro only rolled his eyes, sighing heavily and looking up some top-rated scary movies. If those two weren’t going to come to an agreement and decide soon, he was personally going to tape both of their mouths and think in peace for a moment.

Eventually, after what felt like forever, good thirty titles and a few harsh words, Nami and Franky finally agreed on watching _Insidious_. Zoro didn’t really listen to them when they checked the trailer and what the story was about, he was too busy praying for them to finally decide on something.

And here they all were, seven people crammed on the not-so-large couch in Luffy’s living room. Zoro and Franky were lucky enough to get the places at the ends, given that they were _the biggest_. Luffy and Usopp got to sit in the very middle because they were the first people to finish their task. Nami also found a semi-comfortable place in the middle.

Which left Zoro sitting arm-to-arm with the shitty cook.

It wasn’t, like, _really_ bothering him, but he’d rather not have been exposed to two whole hours of sitting next to the blonde with literally _no_ way to move. Mostly because there was no telling what his idiotic body was going to do in order to humiliate him as much as possible.

The movie itself wasn’t half-bad. Zoro had seen many horror movies in high school, it was a popular thing amongst kids in their middle teens, but that one actually had some scenes that made him raise his eyebrows in surprisement, and the jumpscares were nicely combined with music. 

What spoiled the experience, however, was finding out that there were _three_ more parts of _Insidious._ And they were going to watch them all.

The second one wasn’t as good, Zoro hardly felt anything watching it at all instead of some unnamed pity aimed at the main character for being so goddamn dumb. But it was how all horror movie protagonists acted, so he couldn’t really blame them.

As the third part came by, he noticed the cook had fallen asleep. Well, perhaps he just didn’t feel the tension and atmosphere of horrors at all. Zoro could never understand that, but maybe it was because of Koshiro that his senses were always alert when watching those. The slightest move _outside_ the screen made him jolt in place.

And so, he couldn’t stop himself from flinching when someone touched his shoulder somewhere halfway through the show. It took him a few good seconds to realise it was the cook’s head, which was now limply resting on Zoro’s arm, the blonde’s face just as calm as the day Zoro first thought about ki…

 _Fuck_ . Zoro chewed down a curse when his mind started working in ways he _didn’t_ want it to. But since there was literally no space to get rid of the cook intruding his private space, he had to deal with it somehow.

There was only, like, an hour of the movie left. Given that they weren’t going to watch the last part, though.

* * *

“Oh my…” The cook said, muffling a yawn when they stepped outside Luffy’s flat. “I just couldn’t bring myself to watching more than one part of this. Horror movies always make me sleepy.”

“You’re sure that’s how they’re supposed to be working?” Zoro cocked an eyebrow, inhaling the cold air. It was surely way below zero, the combination of the late hour and low temperature sending a shiver down his body. “I always thought they were made to keep people from falling asleep.”

“Maybe they were.” Sanji nodded slowly, his eyes still half-closed. “But apparently, someone fucked up.”

Zoro laughed at that. The blonde surely said some amusing things when he was tired or drunk. But he didn’t mind it. To the contrary, it was good to see the usually eloquent and sarcastic cook say something blunt and usually ironic at times.

“So I guess I’m walking you home _again_ .” The blonde said, searching through his pockets. “Ah, I forgot to bring my cigarettes.” “One walk without them will probably be good for you.” Zoro smirked slightly. “And let me just mention that you’re _walking me home_ on your free will. Or is it that you’re afraid to walk alone in the dark?”

“I actually am.” Sanji said, shrugging slightly and surprising the other teen. “But fears are something to deal with. Everyone is afraid of something.”

“Right.” Zoro nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. “So, is there anything else you’re afraid of?”

“Of course there are.” The blonde looked up. “But it’s not like I think about them a lot. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish actual fear and deep disgust. Like in case of spiders.”

“Yeah, those are terrible.” The other teen faked a frightened voice, chuckling. “But I guess you’re talking with some sense. Is it because of the late hour, perhaps?”

“I always _do_ talk with some sense.” Sanji smirked slightly, cocking an eyebrow. “But maybe it is that moss only understands what it’s told at night? This whole photosynthesis shit has to be quite draining for the brain, huh."

“Well, chances are moss only understands when people _without_ brains as swirly as their eyebrows talk to them.” Zoro retorted vapishly, making his friend’s smile a little wider.

“Haven’t really seen such people around lately.” He looked around.

“But I have. One of them even spent a few good hours sleeping and drooling on my shoulder.”

“Don’t make it sound like the worst thing in the world.” The blonde grimaced slightly. “And I did _not_ drool on you, we’ve already discussed that.”

Zoro only shook his head in response, looking up at the stars shining in the pitch black sky. Moments like those were his favourite, when the cook and him walked together, talking about everything and nothing. He’d never really had that kind of connection with anyone before.

On top of it, nothing seemed like the cook was bothered by it either. He even sometimes invited Zoro over to his place or asked him directly to go somewhere together. Usually, those requests were followed by something formal, like food testing or trying out new recipes, but Sanji wouldn’t do it if he didn’t want to spend some time with him.

Right?


	2. Introducing Luffy's new favourite dish - instant meat!

Something was wrong with Usopp. No, really, something was _wrong_ with Usopp.

It was actually the cook who pointed it out to Zoro, but now it was pretty much clear for everyone to see during practices. How the long-nose ran a little slower sometimes, or had to stop technical exercises after a few rounds. Even Brook spared the guy a worried look every now and then, but asked about his condition, the teen always shrugged it off with a laugh and a short joke or story about his adventures as Usopp the Great.

And, in spite of all his obvious bluffs, the long-nose was actually a _great_ liar.

“All right, Usopp, have you got a minute?” Sanji asked him one day after practice, exchanging looks with Zoro. The latter only nodded slightly, already knowing what was on the blonde’s mind.

“Me?” The long-nose asked, a note of nervousness so slight in his voice it could as well only be Zoro’s imagination. “Sure, why?”

“You’ve been slacking off during practices lately, haven’t you?” The cook asked, and from the teen’s reaction it was obvious he _was_ nervous earlier. “The championships are in two weeks, you know. It’s not the best moment to take a break.”

“Are you implying that I, Usopp the Mighty, would _slack_ off when facing such a great challenge?”

“He’s implying that you’re slower than usually.” Zoro cut him off, noticing a cautious blue eye sliding over him before going to Usopp’s legs. “Also, those B skips and multi-jumps of yours haven't been going too well lately, have they?”

A moment of silence passed. 

“...I know.” Usopp looked at the cook, sighing. “You know I’m not taking it easy, don’t you? Of all people.”

“I do.” Sanji said slowly, nodding. “That’s why I’m worried. All of us know how much this year matters, and I know how determined you were to make it count.” He paused for a moment, as if trying to choose the next word based on Usopp’s reaction. “Brook also noticed. You don’t want him to give you easier practices.”

“Of course I don’t!” The long-nose protested, clenching his fists. “Don’t be ridiculous, Sanji.”

“So, what’s going on?” The blonde asked. “Come on, you know you can tell us. It’s not like we’re going to do anything with that knowledge, but if I find out you’re just coming with some cheap excuse because you don’t want to get tired…”

“You know I’m not.” The corners of Usopp’s mouth went up slightly, only to fall back into their place a few moments after. “It’s my knee. I think I did something to it last week. I’ve got no idea what it is, though. But it hurts like hell whenever I start running faster or try doing something including putting pressure on it.”

Zoro exchanged quick looks with Sanji. He was aware the cook was already thinking about what to say next. Contusions weren’t so uncommon in athletics as people from outside could have thought, but a sudden injury a few days before the most important competitions of the year - it wasn’t only a major burden for the body, but the mind also.

“Have you told anyone about it?” Sanji’s eyes were stuck on the long-nose’s face, his look really serious. 

“I went to Chopper and Kureha, they said it’s over-strained.” Usopp sighed. “But I can’t let go now. We all promised to do our best at the championships.”

“I know.” The cook put his hands in the pockets of his pants, sighing. “I know we did. But I think you should talk to Miss Robin about it. That’s the very least. She’s not Brook, and she’ll know what to do.”

“I also gave it a thought earlier.” The long-nose said, nodding. “But I don’t know. What if she tells me to stop training? Or to give up the competition?”

“She won’t.”

The words left Zoro’s mouth before he had the time to think about it. Both Sanji and Usopp turned their heads to him, sparks of curiosity in their eyes.

“...She won’t.” He repeated slowly. “Robin is a wise coach, but she’s also a wise woman. I’m sure she’ll understand if you tell her there’s no way you’re going to quit now. If anyone is going to help you get past the prefectures without serious harm, it’s definitely her."

Silence fell between the three of them for a good moment. Zoro exchanged quick looks with the cook, but the blonde slightly nodded in approval.

“You heard the guy.” The corner of his mouth went up. The other teen barely fought the urge to raise his eyebrows. The goddamn cook _hadn’t_ just agreed with him. It couldn’t have happened.

“Well, if you guys are so sure about it…” Usopp raised his head, his face changing from unsure and small to its usual confidence. “I think I’ll just listen to you, then. Thanks.”

“Don’t mind it.” Sanji said, looking at Zoro. “We’re _friends_. That’s what we’re supposed to do.”

His eyes widened subtly as he realised the word had just involuntarily slipped past his lips. An unnamed, warm feeling filled his stomach when the long-nose muttered some more words of gratitude, picking his stuff up and walking out of the hall, trying to hide how he clearly avoided putting pressure on his right leg.

“I’m really worried about him.” Sanji sighed deeply once the two of them were left alone, closing his eyes. “If he doesn’t do something about it, he’ll break from the stress.”

“I know.” Zoro’s eyes went to the nearest window, following their leaving friend. “I hate that it happened to him right now. We’re literally at the homestretch of preparing for the prefectures. Watching him struggle so much hurts.”

“Yeah.” The blonde let them stay in silence for a moment, running a hand through his hair. “Especially that it’s Usopp we’re talking about. Franky and Luffy probably wouldn’t pay it any attention, but I know him. He already feels the pressure because of Brook, and now this.”

“Don’t you think reminding him of how important this year is will only make things worse?” The other teen asked, cocking an eyebrow. The cook chuckled.

“No, not in his case.” He said eventually. “You haven’t seen him _really_ stressed out before. Usopp is an absolute master of turning stress into motivation. It sometimes seems as though he can extract energy from his fear.”

“Well, it surely requires a lot of practice.” Zoro said ironically, and noticed a shade of smirk run through Sanji’s face.

“Well, I never managed to achieve that.” He said, crossing his arms. “But I kind of wish I could just flip the switch.”

“You’re stressed out before contests?” The other teen raised his eyebrows slightly. He thought that someone as experienced and - although it was loath to admit it - incredible at running as the cook didn’t really feel the pressure. After all, he mostly only showed up to take whatever there was to be taken.

“Only the bigger ones.” Sanji admitted slowly. “I’ve already learned not to feel anything before smaller meetings or less important contests. It’s a thousand times better than waking up in the morning with a gordian knot in your stomach.”

“It surely is.” Zoro hummed, squatting to pick up all of his stuff. “Well, we should probably head back now. Our time here is over already.”

“Right.” The blonde nodded, putting on his coat and waiting for Zoro at the door. “One thing before you go your way, mosshead.”

“What is it, shitty cook?” Zoro raised his eyebrows.

“Don’t you dare do anything reckless to yourself in those two weeks.” Sanji said slowly, turning around and walking away in the direction of his apartment.

Zoro’s heart skipped a beat. He spinned around on his heel and strived towards the dorm confidently. So that the swirly bastard wouldn’t see the tips of his ears go read, because _how the hell was he supposed to interpret those words without hearing them through the prism of his feelings._

* * *

As soon as he locked the door to his apartment, Zoro went straight to the bathroom and flushed his face with cold water, cursing himself and his idiotic mind and body for being head over heels for the damn cook. He couldn’t do that to the blonde any longer. He couldn’t just take advantage of their relationship like that. It was unfair.

But still. every time his thoughts ran back to all the semi-intimate moments, he couldn’t stop overthinking it. Maybe because he’d never felt that way around _anyone_. Of course, there were some girls in high school he dated or kissed or even made love with, but none of them made his heart skip a few beats. None of them were able to make him feel so… light.

Also, none of them had called him _a mosshead_.

A sudden knock to his door stopped his rushing train of thoughts. Zoro walked back to the front door and opened them, only to see Luffy, standing outside with a smile plastered to his face and a paper bag in his hand.

“Oh, hey Zoro!” He said, sounding almost surprised. _As though he didn’t know whose flat it was._ “I got some instant meat from the other store, and decided to drop buy and try it! Or are you busy?”

“Not really.” Zoro said, raising an eyebrow, “ _Instant meat_?”

It didn’t really occur to him as very strange that Luffy came to his flat with _another_ strange food invention. He told Zoro one day that he almost got kicked out by Sanji for bringing pulverized instant fruit to his apartment, and ever since Usopp got poisoned by some other strange culinary product, he refused to help with testing them.

“Yeah, the saleslady told me it was something brand new.” Luffy nodded, passing Zoro by and stepping inside the flat. “Whoa, so that’s how you live.”

“You’ve never been here before, right?” The other teen didn’t really have to ask. “You know, normally we’d have to use this floor’s kitchen, but I’ve got a kettle and microwave if any of those will do.”

“The recipe says a microwave would be perfect.” The raven-haired boy said, quickly finding his way around the small flat. Well, it consisted of two rooms only - a small bathroom and the _room for everything else_ , as Zoro used to call it - so it wasn’t really difficult not to get lost.

“Alright then, show me that thing and let’s try to turn it into something edible.” He sighed subtly. As much as he enjoyed Luffy’s company, there was just no way _instant meat_ was going to be tasty. He only hoped it wouldn’t give him food poisoning for the following day.

The recipe itself wasn’t really hard to follow, somehow to Zoro’s slight concern. Luffy took out two cans of… something, opened them, poured in some water and put them into the microwave. A moment of silence passed as both of them glued their eyes to the rotating plate with both of the cans on it. It was Luffy who spoke up first.

“By the way, Zoro.” He said with his usual, carefree manner. “I noticed your face was red when I came here. Is something wrong?”

Zoro’s eyes widened slightly.

“Well, I guess I’ve got a problem.” He sighed. Normally, he wouldn’t speak about his feelings so openly, but there was something about Luffy that just made him want to confine the guy sometimes. The raven-haired boy had that _something_ to himself that made people want to trust him. “I think I’m in love. With the wrong person.”

Silence fell between them. Zoro felt his heartbeat speed up with every second of his friend’s muteness. Luffy looked away from the rotating plate, staring right into the teen’s eyes, and burst out with laughter.

“Oh, Zoro, you’re so funny sometimes!” He said, holding back the outburst of amusement. The other teen just raised his eyebrows, not knowing how to react and waited for the raven-haired boy to calm down. “If you really _know_ that you’re in love, then it’s the very _right_ person, isn’t it?”

“No.” Zoro shook his head firmly. “They’re not. If there’s one thing in the world I can be sure about, Luffy, is that this person has absolutely _zero_ chances of feeling the same way about me.”

Luffy puffed his cheeks, taking a moment to think.

“Have you talked to them about it?” He asked. The other teen shook his head slowly. “Then how can you be so sure?”

“I… just am.” Zoro said hesitantly, his mind quickly looking through all the images of the cook around women, the way he treated them and even fucking _looked_ at them. It was something completely different. “But I feel like I’m just taking advantage of them. It’s not right.”

“Maybe it isn’t…” Luffy shrugged. “...but if that’s how things stand, maybe you two should just talk about it?”

“They’ll hate me if they find out.” The other teen protested, sighing. “It’s really not that easy.”

“Well, to me, it is.” The raven-haired boy smiled slightly. “Think about it. No matter what happens, you won’t feel like you’re doing something unfair to them, right? And who knows…” He paused, cocking an eyebrow. “...maybe they won’t hate you as much as you think they will.”

“I surely do hope so.” Zoro replied, still a little skeptical about the whole idea. He could already hear the blonde’s laughter, full of mockery, then maybe some anger and a hit to the face, and eternal prohibition from _ever_ talking to him again. _Or_ a kick to the head that would intentionally make him lose all the memories of the guy.

_Ping._

“Oh, the meat’s ready!” Luffy exclaimed, a wide grin spreading on his face. “I can’t wait to try it! Help me get it out, Zoro, it’s hot!”

The other teen looked at the cans reluctantly, skeptical about them even more than he was of the cook. The aroma coming from them alone was more than enough to assure him that whatever was inside those, it was anything _but_ meat. But well, having someone like Luffy had _trying out unusual food products_ listed as one of its... numerous questionable upsides.

The first bite he took, he felt his stomach and throat scream in protest, making him fight the sudden retch sent by his body. Somewhere next to him, he heard Luffy’s laughter.

“Come on, Zoro, it’s not that bad!” He said, chuckling. “You look like you’re the one who’s about to get eaten, you know?”

Which, in fact, couldn’t be too far from the truth. Zoro somehow managed to stuff the rest of the can into his mouth - well, he didn’t want to make Luffy feel bad, and the cook told him to never waste _any_ food - and hoped not to choke it out in the next five minutes. Luffy, though, didn’t seem to have any difficulties with swallowing down the whole portion.

“Whew, it wasn’t actually as bad as I expected it to be.” He said with a smirk. _So that was the key. Unbelievably low expectations._ “Well, thanks for trying it out with me, Zoro. It wouldn’t be so fun alone.”

“It surely wouldn’t…” The other teen smirked weakly, still unsure if the can’s content was going to stay inside his stomach for longer. A moment of silence passed before Luffy spoke up, this time with a little more serious tone.

“Are you planning to do athletics for a living?” He asked suddenly, tilting his head. Zoro cocked an eyebrow.

“What makes you think that?”

“Well, you’ve transferred here for the club specifically.” The raven-haired boy hummed. “People usually do that when they take sport super seriously.”

“I… haven’t really thought about it yet.” The other teen sighed, crossing his arms. “As long as I’m under my foster parent’s care, I’m going to take it rather seriously I guess.”

“But do _you_ want it?” Luffy’s eyes seemed to have pierced right through Zoro’s chest.

“Until I graduate? Yes. later…” He breathed deeply. “Who knows? Athletics are too unsure as something you can do for a living. Think about it. One wrong step can ruin your whole career.”

“That’s true…” The raven-haired boy hummed. “But you’d be insanely good at it.”

“How about you?” Zoro raised his eyebrows, an amusing smirk creeping up onto his face. “You’re already amazing. Like, I’ve never seen anyone being so _cool_ at jumping. Do you want to make sport your priority?"

“Well, I could…” Luffy crossed his arms, frowning slightly. “But I’m also going to sail the whole world one day. That goes against it, doesn’t it?”

_Oh._

“You’re right.” Zoro nodded subtly. “And why do you want to do it?”

“Because it’s _freedom_ .” The other teen answered, smiling slightly at his own words. “People of the sea are the freest men alive, you know? They do whatever they want and discover completely new places. N _othing_ stops them, Zoro. Nothing.”

Neither of them spoke up for the following couple of seconds. Luffy shook his head vividly, checking the time and raising his eyebrows.

“It’s already so late?” He asked, looking at Zoro as though seeking confirmation. “I promised to help Ace with work today! I’m sorry, Zoro, but I’ve got to go. Thanks for trying the instant meat with me today.”

“No problem.” The other teen shook his head slightly, unable to put his hand away from his mouth. The so-called meat growled dangerously from inside his stomach. “Can’t wait to try more of your findings sometime in the future.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure to come to you if I find something interesting again.” The raven-haired boy said, heading to the door and opening it. “See you tomorrow at practice!”

Zoro only nodded, waiting until he was sure the door was closed and rushed to the sink. No matter how strong-minded or athletic he was, no hours of training either mind or flesh could prepare him for winning against whatever shit was packed into those cans.

* * *

Everything seemed suspiciously peaceful for the following two weeks.

Zoro noticed how everyone was already thinking about the championships, exchanging excited smirks or worried glances. Usopp got some elastic plasters on his knee and also seemed to have had his situation covered. Zoro tried asking Robin about the long-nose, but apparently she wasn’t too keen on sharing her solutions.

Luffy’s advice still haunted him sometimes. _Sometimes_ being actually every time his eyes met Sanji’s, during practice, when they walked home or met with the others. He could hear the raven-haired boy’s voice in his head. _You should probably talk to them._

After giving it a second thought, and a third, he came to the conclusion there wasn’t really another way out of his hopeless situation. But it wasn’t the best moment to confess such things. Everyone’s thoughts were now circling around the prefectures, and Zoro was a little concerned such a sudden movement could somehow fracture the delicate atmosphere.

That’s why he made up his mind. He was going to tell Sanji how he felt about him once the prefecture championships were over. No matter how they’ll perform, whether they’ll win or lose, he was going to officially tell the shitty cook he was in love with him _after_ the contest. It was probably for the best for both of them.

And so, days passed one after another in that semi-calm atmosphere, until the day they were all standing in front of the bus, with backpacks full of running equipment and some supplies, ready to challenge the whole East prefecture.

“Alright, everyone!” Brook clapped his hands, gathering their attention. “Listen up closely! It’s a big day for all of you, but you’ve already taken part in this kind of contest before. Your events are scheduled over the following two days, so we’ll be staying at the stadium’s hotel for athletes overnight. Now, get inside and I’ll tell you who, when and where.”

Zoro couldn’t help but feel excitement spread all over his body. He really wanted to be in the stadium already, lining up at the start and waiting for the gunshot. It was the adrenaline buzzing in his veins that made running such a great sport discipline. In kendo, or any other sport he’d tried, things were different.

In none of those disciplines could he bring himself to his very limit, both body and mind. Running was just that kind of sport. One had to think about the pace and other competitors at the beginning of the race, but the finale was always the same. Pushing oneself to the limit, and sometimes beyond. Whoever could do it better, was later referred to as _the champion_.

“Alright, _yohoho._ ” Excitement could also be heard in the coach's voice. “Just so you all know, this is the very first time _all_ of my athletes have qualified for the prefecture championships, so for starters I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. All of you did a great job.”

Although the tall man was smiling, Zoro noticed a dark shade run through his face. Was the coach worried about something, or was it just the teen’s imagination? He quickly shook the thought out of his head, focusing on what the old man had to say.

“So, here we go.” Brook looked closely at the list he was holding. “Day one. Franky, you’re going first. Javelin throw starts at ten in the morning.”

“Alrrright!” The giant clenched his fists, grinning. “I’m going to be the first one to bring you gold, coach!”

“You better keep that promise, _yohohoho_!” Brook chuckled, a wide smile spreading on his face. “Next up, the grand opening at noon. We’ll all have to be there. Next up is a break… Zoro, three o’clock. You’ll know when to start warming up, right?”

Zoro nodded, feeling the emotions building up in him. That was it. The hour of truth. _Three in the afternoon._

“Next up, Sanji.” The coach announced. “You’re running half an hour later, your event is right after Zoro’s. He runs, then there’s womens’ steeplechase, and you.”

“Roger that, coach.” The cook said, his voice calm and collected as usual. Zoro wondered if the blonde already felt the stress. If so, he was really good at hiding it.

“Alright, that closes day one for us.” Brook flipped the page over, examining it for a moment. “Day two. Luffy, right at noon. Usopp, two in the afternoon…” He scratched his head, frowning slightly.

“Looks like planning meals for those two days will be a little tough.” Robin said, slightly concerned. “Everyone, try to eat something nutritious three hours before your run, and absolutely don’t eat or drink anything for the last hour. This isn’t some backyard meeting, so please be mindful of your meals from now on.”

“Understood!” Luffy and Usopp exclaimed, saluting. The coach chuckled slightly, giving them a nod full of approval.

“Okay, now when we’ve got it covered… Nami.” Brook turned his head to the redhead. “I’d like you to help us, the coaches, in getting our athletes together and making sure they won’t miss their events.”

“You can count on me, coach.” She said, nodding with a sly smirk. “Those guys won’t go to sleep until they learn the schedule by rote.”

“I surely do hope it won’t take them too long, _yohohoho._ ” The coach laughed, taking his seat and nodding to Robin to start driving. “It’s going to be a long ride, so try to get some sleep. We should be arriving at our destination in the afternoon. For now, please focus on resting, both physically and mentally, _yohoho_.”

Zoro leaned his head back, closing his eyes. There was no way he was going to just go to sleep now, the emotions in him were just too strong. He could try meditating instead, it was always a good method of calming down and killing time if necessary.

Images of previous championships, the junior ones, flashed in his head. The stadium stands full of cheering people, start numbers with his own name, the emotions, the adrenaline. For the whole year, _that_ was his reason for working harder every day. To be there. To show everyone what he was capable of. To prove them all that he could beat the Dracule himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! \o/  
> I've actually been looking for one specific Sanji fic lately, I wonder if you guys could help me out. How much I remember about it? Definitely too little: all I know for sure is that Sanji is wearing a skirt under his pants the whole time. I also think he's not the most popular kid at school, then he befriends Zoro (I _do_ think it was a Zosan story) and it's really angsty. Help (?)
> 
> (If you're reading this: I still haven't found it T-T)


	3. Introducing a new stadium - blue tartan!

The only word that came to Zoro’s mind when his eyes first met the stadium was _magnificent_.

First of all, it seemed huge. He’d never seen such a big object under a roof. The track was fully surrounded by empty stands, safe for one of the arches, where there was a passage to the warm-up hall, and the hotel for athletes. The tartan was blue, something Zoro hadn’t seen before, and it seemed hard. 

Perfect for fast running, thus called _fast tartan_ by the coaches.

The hotel lobby didn’t seem any different from any from his dorm’s one. The lady behind the counter looked at them reluctantly, talking with Brook for a while and handing him some documents to sign before giving him keys to the rooms along with a paper bag.

“Okay, everyone, gather here.” The coach said, looking inside the bag and showing them the keys. “We’ve got five rooms, each of them for two people, so we’ll have to split. Nami and Robin, you’ll get the one on the first floor.” Robin took the key from him, nodding slightly.

“Next up… Usopp, Luffy, take that one.” The coach handed the long-nose another key. “Zoro, Sanji… here you go.”

Zoro wordlessly took the key, a mixture of feelings fighting for dominance inside him. He was excited for the championships, happy because he and the cook got to share a room, stressed out because he and the cook got to share a room, and a little annoyed that he and the cook got to share a room. Which evened just fine into a perfect zero.

“Franky, you and I are getting a whole room for ourselves.” The coach handed another key to the giant, keeping one to himself. “Listen up, everyone. My room number is 202. You’ve got half an hour to pack out your stuff, and we’ll do an organisation meeting there. Everyone understood?”

“Roger, coach!” Luffy and Usopp exclaimed, saluting. They also bowed apologetically when the lady from behind the counter shot them an annoyed look.

Finding their room in the maze of corridors and stairs was a true horror, but at least the cook seemed to have the remnants of his sense of direction, which apparently saved them from walking around the place for the following twenty minutes.

“Finally, found it.” Sanji said, sighing and leaning on the wall. “Man, I’ve never seen a building _that_ complicated. And to have you to help me find the room, of all people…”

“Stop your blabbing already and open the door.” The other teen rolled his eyes, handing him the key. “We have a meeting in, like, fifteen minutes, so we’re going to show up late for sure if you spend the remaining quarter bitching about me.”

“Then maybe it would be nice if you didn’t give me a reason to.” Sanji cocked his eyebrow, turning the key in its lock and opening the door. The smell of an unaired dorm room hit them all at once. “Oh my, what a fug. Where are the windows?”

Perhaps the lobby reminded Zoro of his dorm room, but the place they were in was even smaller. Well, at least it had its own bathroom and two separate beds. It wasn’t like they were going to spend a lot of time there anyway. And it didn’t really matter where he slept, as long as there was something to cover himself with.

“Okay, time for some fresh air.” The cook opened the windows with one bold move, taking a deep breath when the chilly afternoon air slowly filled the room. “A lot better.”

“I just hope that they have warm water here.” Zoro said vapishly, shooting the bathroom a reluctant look. There was a toilet, sink, shower cabin, and just about enough space for one person.

“Me, too.” The blonde put his bag on one of the beds, opening it and taking some of his stuff out. “We only have one chest of drawers, so we’ll have to split the space somehow.”

“You can have it all to yourself.” The other teen said. “I don’t see the point of unpacking if we’re leaving the day after tomorrow anyway.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Sanji sighed, opening the bottom drawer and placing some of his clothes inside. “We’re not barbarians, you know. Chests of drawers weren’t invented for nothing.”

“I was trying to be polite, if you hadn’t noticed.” Zoro sighed, walking towards the free bed and throwing his backpack at it. He quickly opened it and stuffed most of his clothes into the top drawer, leaving spikes, food and water inside. He also placed his toothbrush and shower gel on their respective places in the bathroom.

“It’s about time we went to the coach’s room.” Sanji said, checking the time on his phone and hiding it in his pocket. “We’ve got three minutes.”

“I’m willing to bet we won’t make it there in time.” The other teen smirked, opening the door. “I say we’re going to be five minutes late.”

“Maybe we would if we just casually walked there.” A playful spark lit up in the cook’s eye. “But I hate being late, you know?”

“Is that so?” Zoro couldn’t stop a mischievous smirk from spreading across his face. He cocked an eyebrow. “Should I take it as a challenge? I can get there in three minutes without a problem.”

“Three?” Sanji put the key in the lock, turning it and checking if the door was closed. “I’m pretty sure I’ll do it in two.”

“Two, huh?” The other teen hummed. “Well, I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Oh, so that’s how you put things?” The cook raised his eyebrows. “Time starts when I pull the key out.”

“Done.”

* * *

Zoro rubbed his head in the place Nami had just hit him, looking up at her.

“What did Brook say about _resting_ , you two?” She asked, irritation ringing in her voice. “You’re supposed to relax and regenerate before tomorrow, _not_ run around the halls and crash into the door!”

“I’m sorry, Nami.” Sanji apologised, smiling weakly. “But we had a small argument, and didn’t want to be late.”

“The cook’s right.” Zoro nodded, pointing the blonde with his head. “Sorry about the door, coach.”

“ _Yohoho,_ don’t mind it.” Brook shook his head, laughing. “It’s not broken, so let’s just say nothing happened. It’s good to see you two so energetic. But now that everyone’s here, let’s just start.” He nodded at Robin, who took several envelopes form the paper bag the coach received earlier and gave each of them one.

“In those, you have your start numbers, safety pins and an entrant ID.” She explained, showing them her card with the word _coach_ on it, hanging from her neck. “This year’s organisers insisted you wore those when moving around. That way they won’t mistake you for common passer-bys.”

“Also, make sure to pin the numbers in the correct order tomorrow.” Brook reminded them. Luffy and Franky, you’ve only got one, so you’ll just pin them on your chests, the rest of you…” He looked at Zoro, Sanji and Usopp. “Remember to pin the number with your name on it on the front and the other one on your back. Everything clear?”

“I don’t think any of you will have any problems with pinning the numbers…” Nami said, eyeing them all up. “But if you’ll need help, just come to me.”

Brook waited for all of them to nod subtly in a gesture of understanding.

“Okay, that’s all for the technical part.” He clapped his hands, eyes sparkling. “Now, time for some _strategy_.”

Zoro cocked an eyebrow, intrigued. In the contests he’d taken part in before, everything that mattered was to run faster, stronger than everyone else. The word _strategy_ never really came together with _championships_ in his mind.

“First of all…” The tall coach pointed his head at Luffy and Franky. “You two know what to do. There’s no calculating, you need to jump the longest and throw the farthest.”

“Yassir!” The two of them exclaimed, saluting.

“But the three of you who are running…” Brook turned his head to Usopp. “Usopp, eight hundred is still a long sprint. Your job is just to run as fast as you can. I’m sure you’re going to be okay. You two, though…” His eyes slid from Zoro to Sanji. “You’ll have to use your heads a little if you want to come home with a medal.”

Zoro exchanged looks with the cook. To his surprise, the blonde didn’t really seem surprised by the situation. Well, maybe it was because it wasn’t his first big contest with Brook as a coach.

“First of all, you have to remember we’re not here for new personal bests.” The bony man said, looking at them from above his glasses. “It doesn’t matter how many seconds you two will need to cross the finish line, but who’s going to do it before or after you do. That’s why a standard one-hundred percent approach won’t work. It would make it too easy for your rivals to just run on your backs and take advantage in the very last moment.”

Both of the teens nodded. Zoro realised with a little surprise Brook was actually talking with some sense. He himself had never looked at the championships in such a way.

“Sanji, you’re the favorite of your event this year.” The coach said, locking his fingers. “So technically, you could start off at your ultimate pace and hold it until the end. It would be a little risky, given you won’t have much strength on the homestretch, but having you run in the group…” He looked up with a serious look on his face. “There is one runner I’m worried about. Current number two in the ranking, Shiryu.”

“I know.” The blonde nodded slightly, suddenly frowning. “He’s from the Blackbeards, right?”

“That’s what concerns me the most.” Brook said, sighing. “He’s got a little over ten to fifteen seconds to you, but the problem is he ran it a long time ago. We don’t know how much he’s improved over that time.”

“And Blackbeards don’t like playing fair.” The cook snorted, looking away. “This guy’s going to be troublesome, isn’t he?”

“Well, you surely shouldn’t underestimate him, but try not to think about it too much.” The coach assured him. “You’re in great shape, and don’t forget you’re the fastest person in our prefecture. As for Zoro…” His eyes slid right to the other teen.

“What about me?” He asked, suddenly feeling unexplainable uneasiness crawling up his spine.

“You’re in the first run, which is perfect for us.” Brook said. “And if you run on the level your personal best is on, you’ll have real chances for a medal. Moreover, you’re not a favorite which puts you in a good position. But your event isn’t easy.”

“I know.” Zoro nodded, crossing his arms. “What do you suggest then?”

“I think you should try sticking to the group.” The coach suggested. “Unlike in steeplechase, running right at someone’s back isn’t risky at all. And you’re a good fighter. I’d rather if you didn’t run the whole distance on one hundred percent, but stick after the leading athlete, whoever it’ll be. Then…” His eyes lit up. “The last lap will be yours.”

“You want me to start sprinting a full lap before the finish line.” Zoro said, raising his eyebrows. “I don’t think I’ll be able to pull something like that off, coach.”

“I also thought that at first.” Brook assured him. “But after thinking about it for a little longer, I figured this was the best solution for you. I can’t really tell what shape you’re in since I’ve only trained you for a few months, but I think only someone with will like yours can try something like this. It’s an all-or-nothing strategy.”

A moment of silence passed. Zoro stared deeply into the coach’s eyes, rethinking his words over and over again. _A whole lap of sprint._ It seemed purely impossible.

_But._

If someone as experienced as Brook was telling him he could do it, perhaps it wasn’t such a dumb idea. Maybe if he really tried hard to imagine it, he’d be able to actually put it into life. After all, if he couldn’t even do that, how could he think of beating Hawkeye?

“Well…” He spoke up eventually. “I’ll do it. I’ll put everything on that one card tomorrow.” 

The tension between them cracked. Brook’s face lightened up as he smiled widely.

“ _Yohohoho!_ ” He laughed. “That’s the spirit, Zoro! With such athletes, I’m pretty sure tomorrow’s going to be truly exceptional. Well, everyone, that’s all. Don’t go to bed too late. Breakfast for you is tomorrow at eight. Franky and I will eat sonner, because his event starts early in the morning. Understood?”

“Yes, coach!”

* * *

“So, I guess only one of us got to be his event’s _favourite_ this year, huh?”

Zoro didn’t have to turn around to see the victorious smirk spread all across the cook’s face. He could bring it forth in his memory if he wanted, after having seen it so many times already.

“Well, at least I’m going to be the one going from zero to hero.” He retorted. The cook only snorted.

“Just make sure not to get lost on the track. Remember - when in doubt, turn left.”

“I surely will now, thank you for your concern.” Zoro bowed, faking courtesy. The blonde chuckled, passing him by and falling into the sheets of his bed.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to get any sleep tonight.” He murmured, burying his head in the pillow. The other teen hummed quietly, sitting on his own bed and looking around the room.

“You’re stressed out?” He half-asked, half-stated.

“Not yet.” The blonde shook his head. “But I probably will, tomorrow when I wake up. I’ll just close my eyes and wish that when I open them, it’ll be over already.”

“It’s so bad?” Zoro raised his eyebrows. “Don’t you _want_ to run?”

“I do.” Sanji said, contradicting his previous self. “And at the same time, I don’t. I wish I could just flip a switch and sleep through my start or anything.”

“That’s bad.” The other teen sighed. “I also want it to be over as soon as possible, but I have the feeling that I really want to do it. Not wake up after it’s over, but to _feel_ it. It’s kind of… like… the stress bursting out of me rather than sucking from the inside.”

“I know what you mean.” Sanji assured him. “Although your explanation was a little… well, abstract.”

“Well, I didn’t really know how to describe it so that your swirly brain would understand.” Zoro retorted, smiling. “But well… it’s not like we can run away from it now, are we?”

“You’re absolutely right.” The blonde said into the pillow. “But for some reason, it doesn’t make me feel indifferent at all. I usually have the feeling of inner peace, but now nothing looks like it’s going to come.”

“Well, the situation is quite serious, so I’m not surprised.” Zoro nodded. “But _you_ , of all people, shouldn’t be worrying so much about your run. Like, you’ve set a _prefecture record_ a month or two ago. It’s not like anyone in our prefecture has _ever_ run faster than you.”

“It doesn’t exactly work that way at the championships and you know that.” Sanji lifted his head up, looking into the other teen’s eyes. “It’s a totally different world there. There’s no culture, you always get shoved by others, and they’re going to use the most drastic measures to win.”

“It’s not _that_ bad.” Zoro said. But he knew the cook was right. Athletes competing in championships… they were more likely to shove you or dig their spiked into your leg if they had the chance. Especially at the very beginning of the race.

“Isn’t it funny that the darkest side of athletics is also the most beloved one?” The blonde turned on his back, running a hand through his hair. “Think about it. The higher the stakes, the more brutal and dirty it gets… and the more people come to see it.”

“When you put it that way, it surely seems a little scary.” The other teen said, searching his surroundings for a remote. “I think we should watch something, sitting here and talking about tomorrow won’t help our nerves at all.”

“You’re right.” Sanji half-chuckled, smiling weakly. “But it’s fun. You can’t just talk about running with anyone without getting them bored.”

“Maybe because it’s such a shitty sport.” Zoro turned the TV on, surfing through the channels. “Who’d like to talk about people running in circles? And they always turn left, on top of that.”

“You sound just like the old geezer from Baratie.” The cook laughed, his eyes sliding from the screen right on Zoro’s face. “Perhaps I should introduce you to him one day, I’m sure you’d find a common language relatively fast.”

“Well, that means he has to be a really cool guy.” The other teen hummed, his eyes running through the channel list. “Look at that, shitty cook. Remember that movie?”

“ _The Last Samurai_?” Sanji cocked his head slightly. “Of course I do. We watched it together in my apartment the other day, why?”

“How do I put it…” Zoro rubbed the back of his head, faking confusion. “You fell asleep right after the first scene. Care to watch that again?”

“So you liked it?” The blonde raised his eyebrows. “Well, I guess it’s fine. Maybe you’ll tell me something interesting about those guys running around with swords.”

“First of all, they’re _samurai_.”

“Right, that’s what I said, wasn’t it?”

“Oh, but of course it was.” Zoro rolled his eyes. He noticed a shade of a smirk run through the cook’s face. “However, it must’ve missed your attention that they weren’t just _running around_.”

“Point taken, that’s a big difference.” Now it was Sanji who was faking a courteous tone and raised his chin, locking his eyes with Zoro’s. “Now, if you please, I’d very gladly watch those _not-just-running-around_ men slash one another with pieces of sharpened steel. Better?”

“Can’t imagine a more perfect phrase coming from you.” The other teen mocked, putting the remote away and staring into the screen as the first scenes rolled through it.

His eyes slid to the cook’s face a couple of times, every time making his heart beat a little faster. Maybe he wasn’t stressed out because of tomorrow's run, but there was definitely something that made his skin crawl whenever he thought of it.

The following day was going to be the day he would confess his love for Sanji. The day of truth. Countless scenarios ran through Zoro’s head. No matter how much he tried to convince himself it didn’t really matter if he was nervous about it or not, the feeling of emptiness growing in his stomach refused to fade away.

No matter what was going to happen, in twenty-four hours his mind was going to be at peace. He only had to survive so long. It couldn’t be _that_ hard.

* * *

“Wake up, mosshead, it’s morning already.” The cook’s voice echoed in his head, pulling him to the surface of consciousness and forcing him to open his eyes.

Sanji was already half-ready to go out, with his hair washed and blow dried, his face full of energy… well, perhaps not energy, but life. His eyes were a little more blank than usual, and his expression was unusually neutral, like a stony mask.

“All right, all right…” Zoro murmured, slowly getting out of the sheets and heading to the bathroom to splash his face with some water and wake up.

“We’ve got half an hour before breakfast.” The blonde told him, opening the chest of drawers and taking out the club’s tracksuit. “I figured there was no point in waking you up earlier.”

“Much appreciated.” The other teen held back a yawn. “How’s your well being? Nervous?”

“...Kind of.” Came the short response. “But I’m starting to feel more excited. Just like you said it yesterday… like I want to run instead of go to sleep and wake up when everything’s over.”

“Well, that’s a good sign, isn’t it?” Zoro walked out of the bathroom, taking out his set of clothes and putting them on quickly, making sure everything was in place before he turned to the cook. “So, Franky and Brook should already be at the stadium.”

“Yeah.” Sanji nodded. “Their warm-up should have already begun.”

“By the way, how good is Franky at that whole Javelin throw?” Zoro asked. “I mean, I’ve seen him throw during practices and he’s obviously qualified here, but I don’t know shit about that sport.”

“Well, it’s really hard to tell with this guy.” The cook shrugged slightly. “It honestly depends on the day for him. One time you see him perform really miserably, and the day after he throws further than last year’s prefecture champion. Franky’s a walking time bomb. You never know when he’s going to explode."

For some reason, it didn’t make Zoro as surprised as it probably should have. The giant had a personality that swung from being all super confident and even prolonging every _r_ in the sentences he spoke to suddenly bursting into tears over some trivial matter. There was no reason why that wouldn’t transfer into his athletic performances.

“So, what do you think?” He asked, tilting his head. “Is he going to be okay?”

“I’m more than sure of it.” The cook’s eyes lit up. “You can say everything about how he throws at backyard meetings, but in contests like this, he’s sure to explode. Don’t ask me how it works.” He locked his gaze with Zoro’s. “None of us is going easy today.”

Zoro held up the stare, raising his chin slightly.

“You don’t have to tell me.” He said. “Don’t think I’m not included in that special year just because I joined only a few months ago.”

“I’m not, trust me.” Sanji assured him, breaking eye contact between them and looking around the room in search of the key. “We should probably get going. I have no intention of exposing myself to Nami’s anger again by racing to the canteen with you.”

“Then better don’t give me a reason to challenge you.” The corners of Zoro’s mouth went up slightly. “Not to mention, _I won._ ”

“Not in your current life, mosshead.” The cook snorted, cocking an eyebrow. “It was me who crashed into the door first.”

“Oh, was it now?” The other teen raised his eyebrows subtly, slowly making his way towards the door. “That’s interesting, because I thought I left your swirly brow behind long before stopping in front of Brook’s room."

“Well, your mossy head must’ve been _terribly_ mistaken.” Sanji followed him, the atmosphere between them becoming more tense with every passing second. “Everyone can confirm that _I_ was the one who walked in first.”

“You’re so sure?” Zoro asked. “I wonder what they’re going to say if I ask them.”

“My guess is, that your green ass was simply slower.”

“Let’s find out then.” He smirked slightly, watching the cook turn the key in its lock. “But this time, no running.”

Sanji shot him an amused look, slowly pulling the key out, his body shifting and preparing for the upcoming rivalry.

“Fine.”

* * *

The food tasted bland in his mouth. Not because all canten sandwiches tasted the same, but because of the stress welling up inside him. Every other bit felt like shoving a fistful of dry bread down his throat. But on days like these, nutrition was key. No excuses, no exceptions.

Right after finishing their meals and going back to their room, Sanji and him fell to their beds, sighing in unison. Zoro knew that feeling. His muscles refused to work, telling him to lie down and not to move. It happened sometimes, but he always explained it as _saving energy for later._ He knew the power was going to come back to him an hour or two before the start.

“I hate food in places like this.” He sighed again, locking his eyes at the ceiling,

“You shouldn’t really complain about it so much.” The cook replied. “It was edible, and it was nutritious.”

“I thought Baratie’s sous-chef would put on his ears a little more.” Zoro smirked.

“Baratie’s sous-chef has deep respect for food and people preparing it.” Sanji said, not mimicking the other teen’s expression. “In the end, no matter who or how wealthy you are, money won't fill your stomach. But a bunch of crappy sandwiches? Sure as hell."

Zoro nodded slowly. He expected the blonde to say something waspish about the level of culinary arts in canteens like the one they had just visited. Someone with his skills in cooking surely had to have a thousand ideas how to make those sandwiches better without adding any new ingredients, and most chefs would probably want to show it off.

But the cook was right. Money couldn’t fill one’s stomach. Even though it could be an important means to that goal.

“Is that why there’s an emergency table in the shitty restaurant?” Zoro asked, trying to break the silence that fell between the cook and him.

“I understand starving people more than anyone.” The blonde replied, more to himself than the other teen, and sighed slightly. “That’s why no one’s going to walk out of Baratie hungry.”

“That’s quite noble.”

“That’s common sense.” Sanji corrected him. “We feed hungry people. _All_ hungry people. Why would we favorize the ones who can afford an expensive meal over those who barely make ends meet?”

“Well, that’s one way to look at it.” Zoro agreed. “But doesn’t that drain your budget? I mean, doing the dishes doesn’t cover the costs of a fancy meal.”

“Oh, _fancy_?” The cook gave him a surprised look. “No, the meals we serve there are just some scraps left from the day’s servings. It prevents us from wasting food, and if by doing that we can help someone, then it’s absolutely for the better.”

“ _Scraps._ ” The other teen echoed. “Are Luffy and Usopp aware of this?”

“Well, I think I told them a while ago. I’m not sure they paid any attention to it, though. They don’t really complain about anything as long as they find whatever they’re served tasty.”

“That’s fair.” Zoro laughed. He checked the time on his phone. “We should probably get going, Franky’s medal ceremony should start soon.”

“Oh, it’s already this late?” The blonde raised his head, changing his position to sitting with a deep breath. “Time flows like crazy when you’re waiting for your start, doesn’t it?”

Both of them quickly left their room and headed to the warm-up hall, striving out of it and walking out to the stadium. Zoro felt energy come back to him when his eyes turned to all the decorations, timers and stands full of people. He was in his element, that was the place he was supposed to be in.

“Look, Franky and Brook are over there.” Sanji pointed his head in the direction of the heavily adorned, wide podium. Both the giant and the bony coach were standing there, ready for the ceremony.

“Brook is holding the medals.” Zoro noticed.

“I told you Franky was a bomb.” The cook smirked victoriously. “No one can stop him once he sets up his mind, you know?”

They watched the athletes slowly take place behind their respective places on the podium, stepping up when their names were announced. Brook - the winner’s coach - moved to every one of the six best performers, congratulating them and shaking hands.

“I wish I had this kind of switch.” Zoro sighed, shaking his head. “That’s really awesome, to just set yourself to do your best.”

“Isn’t it?” The blonde nodded. “Just looking at him makes me envious. But everyone has their quirks.”

The other teen laughed at that, watching Franky bow slightly so that his coach could place the gold medal around his neck, then threw his fists in the air, smiling widely. and waving at the people on the stands. Zoro watched him with a mixture of respect, joy and envy. But not the vicious type of jealousy. 

First of all, he was really proud of his friend and happy for him to have won the gold. That went without doubt. And he’d never wish for Franky to perform any worse than he did that day. But there was also the desire to do just as good burning inside him. He _also_ wanted to look at the track from the highest place on the podium. There was no way he was going to lose to the giant.

“Aye, it’s Franky!” Luffy exclaimed, suddenly having appeared by Zoro’s side. “I knew he was going to rock it!”

“Of course he was.” Sanji nodded with a smile. “That’s Franky all over.”

“Right.” The raven-haired boy chuckled. “He’s so _cool_ when he does his best.”

“You make it sound like you’re _not_ as cool.” The cook scolded him. “You should just look at yourself jumping, Luffy. I’m pretty sure there’s no one who can measure up to your rubber legs today.”

“I’ll make sure there won’t be.” Luffy said firmly, cracking his knuckles. “You know I’m going for the gold today.”

Sanji replied something, but Zoro left it behind as he walked back inside the warm-up hall, watching the athletes getting ready for their events. One thing he noticed earlier, people were giving him _looks._ Not only him, though. Luffy, Sanji, Usopp… most of the people they came across turned around and whispered.

“I guess we’re famous here, aren’t we?” Zoro asked. He didn’t have to turn around to know Sanji was standing right behind him.

“That’s what you get for training in the Thousand Sunny.” The cook said bluntly, hiding his hands in the pockets of his pants. “People will be watching your every move now. Better get used to it, mosshead.”

“Oh, so you’re worried about me?” The other teen raised his eyebrows.

“You wouldn’t want to have _me_ worrying about you.” The blonde said calmly. “That would mean you’re in quite the trouble.”

“Thanks.” Zoro smirked, although the cook’s tone made a red lamp inside him light up. Sanji was unusually serious, but perhaps it was just him trying to cope with the emotions. “So, what are we going to do now?”

“Watch some TV and do nothing for, like, two hours or so? We’re supposed to have dinner at noon, and none of us will be performing before three in the afternoon anyway, so.”

“...Sounds pretty good to me.” Zoro nodded after a moment of thinking. “But we’re not going to race this time. Nami would bite our heads off.”

A moment of silence passed.

“That’s... a reasonable argument.” The blonde spoke up eventually, smirking. “But the remote’s all mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting a good dose of our boys _running_ in the next chapter so get strapped and ready for a ride! Thanks for following the story so far, guys!


	4. Introducing a new coach - Teach!

It was time.

Zoro felt it with every inch of his body. The hall was full of people, running around and doing various exercises, stretching and energizing their bodies. Preparing for one of the most important events of the year. The race for the qualification to the nationals.

Cautiously looking around, he slowly put down the bag with his spikes and some water - although Robin told them not to drink anything for an hour before the run, there was nothing wrong with rinsing his mouth if he felt his throat dry. It happened in rooms with air conditioning.

_Forty minutes._

After checking up at the referee’s table and confirming his number, all of his thoughts went to the warm-up. He started jogging around the hall, pressing one of the buttons on the stopwatch he got from Nami and checking if it was working. Ten minutes was supposed to be just enough.

 _Remember not to overdo it,_ she reminded him, although there was no need. He’d done that hundreds of times before. It was almost like his body knew how to move on its own.

The shitty cook had half an hour of spare time before he’d start moving, and since both Luffy and Usopp were performing the next day, Zoro was left alone with his thoughts. He imagined the race over and over again in his head, countless scenarios flashing in front of his eyes.

All of them came to one conclusion. He’d have to run the fastest last lap of his life.

It both excited and stressed him out. On one hand, it was a challenge, and he liked it. A test to his limits and seeing just how much he’d be able to get from his body. No calculations, no rational thinking. On the other, every challenge came with a strong possibility of failure. He _feared_ failure.

The feeling wasn’t excessively powerful, but even the slightest impacts on psychique could affect the whole performance. Zoro had to get rid of that thought. _One faulty step might tip the scales._

_Twenty minutes._

His mind was perfectly clear as he continued to stretch out and do some dynamic exercises. As his thoughts wandered around, focusing on everything and nothing, the body moved on its own - driven by muscle memory only. He’d done that countless times, day by day, for years. All of his efforts led to that moment. And so, there he was. At his first senior prefecture championships.

The referee called for the fifteen hundred meters men athletes. Zoro headed towards the man, his eyes tracing over other competitors gathering around. He felt a little guilty for not recognising anyone, he surely had competed with some of them already. Someone was even kind enough to greet him.

_Five minutes._

The air in the stadium was a little colder than in the warm-up hall. The voices of people cheering echoed in his ears, filling his head and making him become even more focused, to the point he could feel every inch of his skin and the way cool air flowed through his lungs when he breathed.

It was like meditation, but with the slight difference his body didn’t shut down. He felt adrenaline flowing through his veins, and when the man dressed in white finally gave them the signal to line up, all of the emotions faded away, leaving him ready and focused like never before.

Whatever was going to happen within the next few minutes, everything was going to be over. He was going to feel calm again and his mind would finally be at peace. But in order to get that, he was going to have to die once again.

_Bang._

His feet pushed off the ground with minimal delay. Just as Brook said, the group started forming after the first two hundred meters. He tried not to pay attention to other contestants shoving him or pushing him forward, it was not a kickboxing tournament, it was a run. He had to focus.

The pace wasn’t too fast, he could manage it. But it was all right, Brook and him had already predicted something like that might happen. He had to endure it and speed up at the very end. Giving in to the illusive feeling of energy would cost many of them dearly.

And so, after a full lap and a half, he heard people behind him slow down and detach from the group. His eyes went to the first athlete, running only a meter or two in front of him, looking comfortable in the set pace. Zoro had no intention of letting that man win so easily.

About six hundred meters to the finish line, it was only the two of them left. The leader, confidently striving forward, and Zoro right on his back. His throat and tongue were dry as the desert - due to the air conditioning - and he couldn’t feel his arms anymore. Simply moving forward felt like a torture already. And there was still more than a full lap to go.

He wasn’t going to make it.

As soon as the thought showed up in his mind, he was surprised by how easy it was to accept. That was right, that guy wasn’t going to slow down. He’d keep up his pace and speed up for the last two hundred meters or so. There was no way Zoro’s body was going to take on such effort.

The moment he heard the bell ring, he knew it was the moment of truth. The moment he wasn’t going to use to his advantage. It was purely impossible. He did everything in his might to win, this time it just wasn’t enough. He could just go for the silver and qualify for the nationals. It was probably for the best, keeping track of those behind him and…

“The race isn’t over yet, Zoro!”

His eyes widened slightly, going right into the direction of the voice that had called his name. _Brook_. The old man was leaning on the barrier, his tall and bony silhouette standing out in the crowd.

“Zoro! Don’t give up!” He heard Luffy’s voice somewhere behind him. “You can get that guy! I know you’ve got the strength!”

_Right._

It felt as though someone took a large hammer and shattered the cage building up around Zoro, the comfortable thoughts of getting the silver fading away right in front of his eyes. More voices reached him, making his body want to move faster. Even if just a little.

_There’s still one lap to go._

From all the moments he could’ve chosen to start picking up his pace, that one was probably the worst. His lungs were on fire, his legs and arms were shut down, aching and begging him to stop. The leader had already created a ten meter gap between them.

But it was the absolutely _best_ moment not to give up.

Most of that lap was a blur to Zoro. He focused on the athlete in front of him, wanting only one thing - to get closer to him. To be right at his back, to close that gap between them. Step by step, he could feel he was getting nearer and nearer to the guy. But a bell in the back of his head started ringing. Only half a lap to go.

He finally, _finally_ caught up to the leader just as they entered the homestretch. It was now or never. All or nothing. Victory or defeat. Zoro threw himself forward, his knees bending under him. Just as he passed the other athlete, the other sped up, catching up to him and going head to head, toe to toe.

Only thirty meters left. Technically, it was already over.

Except that it wasn’t.

A longer step. A faster move of an arm. A calmer breath. When it came down to moments like those, those qualities were what made a champion. Zoro never believed such equal sprints could happen at a prefecture level. The Olympics - sure, there was a lot of footage on heroic home stretches. Well, life enjoyed proving him wrong.

The finish line flashed under his feet before he knew it. His body reacted instantly, shutting down. Zoro blinked when the tartan rushed to meet him, turning on his back. He closed his eyes, desperately fighting for air. His throat was torn and he could feel the taste of blood in his mouth.

“Zoro.” Someone called his name and he forced an eye open, breathing heavily. A flash of copper hair filled his vision. “You were great, congratulations… are you even alive?”

“...Yeah.” He spat out between deep breaths, blinking a couple of times until Nami’s face wasn’t a blur anymore. “But I don’t know for how long.”

“You’ll be just fine, Chopper and Lady Kureha are here, so they’ll bring you back to life in no time.”

“They are?” Zoro raised his eyebrows, closing his eyes again and feeling his heart and lungs slowly calm down.

“They arrived just before your run. Chopper insisted on watching you guys perform, so there they are.” Nami said, grinning at him widely. “Show some more enthusiasm, you made it to the nationals!”

“Just give me a moment to come back to life.” He slowly brought himself up on his elbows, trying to stand up and swaying on his legs. Nami helped him by throwing his arm over her neck.

“Come on, I know it’s your triumph, but we need to clear the track for other people.” She said, dragging both of them outside the track and letting him lean on one of the walls. “All right, all right, come back to me, Zoro. Don’t die.”

“I’m perfectly fine, thanks.” He smirked slightly. A moment of silence passed as he gathered the strength to stand on his own. “I’m okay now.”

“Wonderful.” Nami smiled warmly, patting him on his shoulder. “Oh, Robin’s coming! I’m sure Brook and her are happy with your run, you should’ve seen the finish. You gave us quite the emotions, you know?”

Zoro nodded bluntly, his eyes going to the tall silhouette closing in to him.

“Great job, Zoro.” She praised him with a small smile. “That was one great run. I reckon it’s your new personal best.”

“Really?” Zoro raised his eyebrows slightly. “I thought I would’ve run faster if I kept an even pace.”

“You probably would.” Robin’s eyes slid over him. “But it was the best possible performance you could give to qualify for the national championships in June.”

“Who won?” He asked, his eyes widening subtly. 

“We’re still waiting for the official results.” The coach’s eyes softened slightly. “For now, you should dress up and prepare for the medal ceremony. It’s your big day.”

“...Right.” Zoro nodded slightly, feeling exhaustion slowly take its toll on him. The adrenaline was wearing off, but at least he was at peace now.

So he was really going to the nationals in summer, huh. Even though he knew his chances were big, it still came to him as quite a surprise. Being able to compete with athletes from other prefectures. _Stronger_ prefectures. The thought alone made him feel excited, however he was too tired after two days of hyping up for his run to vent his emotions.

The medal ceremony. _His_ medal ceremony. The words echoed in his head, leaving him lightheaded. It’s only been two years since he won the junior prefecture championships, but he hadn’t felt in such a way before. Senior contests were on a completely different level, after all. Only the strongest trained long enough to get there. 

And he was, apparently, one of the best amongst those _strongest_.

* * *

A girl dressed all in white called them to the podium. Zoro slowly walked to his place as he was told, putting his hands behind his back and looking around at the stands. People were standing, screaming and cheering at the upcoming run of men's steeplechase - _Sanji’s_ run - as the athletes walked onto the track, preparing for their start.

Zoro’s eyes turned to a short, chubby man who slowly walked to the six of them, congratulating each one and handing them diplomas. As his name was mentioned, Zoro stepped up to the podium and had to bow almost in half so that the man could reach his neck and hang the heavy, silver disk on it.

_Silver._

The official results came to him only a few minutes before. Eight hundredths of a second. _That_ much separated him from the gold. A longer step. A faster move of the arm. But it didn’t make him feel bad at all. He didn’t feel bitter, perhaps because he knew. The first guy wasn’t half a lap, not even a step faster than him. It was only a fucking _split_ of a second.

After the winner officially received his medal, Zoro looked away at his coach. Brook was standing in the crowd, smiling at him and nodding with approval. His words from the last lap still echoed in the teen’s head.

_The race isn’t over yet._

“My congratulations, _yohoho._ ” He said after Zoro stepped out of the podium and walked towards him. “It was a wonderful last lap.”

“I let him run away.” The teen protested, holding back a sigh. “I’m sorry for giving up so easily on him.”

“You fought bravely.” Brook said slowly after a moment of silence. “I could clearly see that you were giving it your all. Don’t forget that fifteen hundred is one of the hardest events. Only the most determined and mentally strongest can hope to complete it without breaking down at some point.”

“I gave up. You saw it yourself--”

“Zoro.” The coach interrupted him, his eyes sliding to the teen’s chest. “You’ve got a valiant heart and a body able to withstand a great deal of pain. There are boundaries for everyone, but you stubbornly keep pushing yours away. That’s one of the best qualities in an athlete a coach like me can ask for. Today, you won the silver. Missed the gold by a few hundredths of a second. Don’t underestimate yourself."

Zoro opened his mouth to say something, but closed it almost immediately, nodding. His eyes stung at the coach's words. Somehow, Brook knew exactly what to say. Like a father speaking to the child. He didn’t know that side of the tall, bony man. But now he understood why he was so famous. There was more to a coach than just training plans.

“ _Yohoho_ , Sanji’s run is starting any minute now.” Brook said, putting a hand on his arm. “We should probably go cheer on him.”

Because the entrance to the stadium was closed for other athletes, it took them a while to find a free spot at the railing, where they wouldn’t have to cram with other people cheering on their friends or family.

Zoro watched Sanji and other contestants line up on the start, all of them silent. The tension rose as the referee lifted up his gun, ready to shoot.

“Which one’s Shiryu?” Zoro asked, his eyes sliding from one athlete to another. “That guy from Blackbeards.”

“He’s the one next to Sanji.” Brook replied, standing on his toes to get a better look. _As though someone who’s already almost seven feet tall needed to do that._

“The one in black?” He narrowed his eyes. “Ah, the tall one. But there’s one more guy from his club here, right?”

“That’s correct.” The coach nodded slowly. “I don’t know him, though. But the fact he’s in the first run means he’s someone to be reckoned with. Well, we’ll see what our Sanji is going to do.”

“And what do you think?” Zoro asked, leaning on the railing surrounding the track and exhaling slowly.

“I know he’ll be fine.” Brook said after a moment. “He’s just as much of a fighter as you are. And I’m pretty sure he only thinks about this race as a means to qualify for the nationals. As long as his mind is set on doing his best, it’s going to be okay.”

The teen turned his eyes back to the cook. He briefly wondered about how much attention the bony man put on his proteges’ psychique. It was different than in kendo, where people strived to reach peace and clarity of mind. In a sport discipline so simple as running, the mind seemed to be quite crucial.

_If you can imagine and believe in it, you can do it._

_Bang!_

All at once, the athletes started running. Zoro’s eyes followed the cook’s golden hair, watching him move to the front and set the pace for the group behind him. He looked marvellous, quickly moving forward, like a machine but with more grace.

“Looks like Shiryu’s friend’s out.” Brook mused, and Zoro turned his head to the start line.

One of the athletes dressed in black must had had an accident. He was already about a full hundred meters behind the group and scampering slowly, if not limping slightly.

“I think it was a contraction.” The coach said, nodding to himself. “Only just a few seconds after the start. Something terrible.”

“Isn’t it?” Zoro agreed, sighing. “Making it to the first run, only for something like that to happen.”

“He should leave the track and get someone to help him loosen it up.” Brook frowned slightly. “But it looks like he’s not going to do that.”

Zoro mimicked the expression.

“You think it’s for the points?” He asked, feeling concerned all of a sudden. “I heard that running in the prefecture championships guarantees a better place in the national ranking for the club.”

“That’s true…” Brook nodded. “But it’s enough if he _starts_ the race. There’s nothing about finishing it. They’ve already got the points.”

“Then, why do you think he’s doing it?” Zoro asked, watching Sanji finish the first lap, with Shiryu right on his back.

“I don’t know.” The coach’s face turned a shade darker. “But old Teach doesn’t look like he’s planning to tell him to stop.” His eyes turned to a tall, round man dressed in a tracksuit with the same logo as the injured athlete’s clothes, nodding to himself with a smile.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Zoro muttered. “Maybe I’m just being skeptical, but something about it feels wrong.”

“I’m afraid you’re not the only one.” Brook’s frown deepened. “Teach is known for playing dirty. I can’t help but worry about Sanji, since there are two of the Blackbeards running with him.”

“But Shiryu has too much to lose.” Zoro shook his head firmly. “He’s going for the silver, right? If so, he’s going to qualify for the nationals anyway.”

“You’re right.” The coach said. “But then, there _has_ to be a reason why that other boy is still running. I know his coach way too well to think he just wants his athletes to do their best.” His eyes trailed back to Zoro. “I’ve been training young people for longer than you’d think, Zoro. And I’ve seen many dirty plays happening on track. Perhaps I’m just overthinking things, which I hope I’m doing, but something’s odd here.”

The teen nodded, watching the blonde fly over the barriers, slowly leaving Shiryu behind and getting closer to his limping friend. The feeling of uneasiness rising up inside him only intensified after hearing the coach’s worried tone.

“He’s going for a double.” He muttered, frowning slightly. “This shouldn’t be happening in a two thousand race…”

“It most definitely _shouldn’t_ .” Brook suddenly straightened up, clenching his fingers around the railing. “Zoro, I need you to act quickly. You need to tell Sanji _not_ to double that guy close to a barrier. He can’t do it. It’s too risky.”

“Huh?” Zoro cocked an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

“Just go!” Before he knew it, Brook shoved him away from the barrier and pointed his finger in Sanji’s direction. “Go, Zoro! Hurry up!”

There was something in his voice that made Zoro’s skin crawl. Brook wasn’t just worried at that point. He sounded _scared._ Perhaps that was why he sprinted to the other side of the stadium, trying to get to the cook before he approached that limping guy.

“Cook!” He shouted as loud as he could. “Don’t double on a barrier!”

The blonde didn’t turn his head or give any sign of hearing him, but Zoro knew the message got through. His eyes turned to the injured guy in front of the cook, noticing the guy had slowed down. 

“It’s too late for that now, boy.” He heard a voice behind his back and flinched, turning back immediately to face the tall, round guy Brook spoke about earlier.

_Teach._

“I’m quite impressed old Brook figured me out, though, _zehahaha_ .” The man continued, nodding to himself. _Another weird chuckle_. “But I see he’s not as fast as he was years ago, though.”

“What do you mean?” Zoro frowned.

“Just watch.” The coach said, pointing his head at the track. “Go, Shiryu! Now!”

The athlete running in second - Shiryu - nodded slightly, and Zoro’s eyes turned to Sanji. The limping guy has slowed down enough to make sure they were going to meet before the barrier. Zoro cursed. The blonde could either slow down significantly - which would cost him dearly - or try to double that man before they reached the obstacle.

A part of him knew the cook was going to pick up his pace. First of all, that’s what he’d do. If not from the belief he’d actually manage to pull that off, then of sheer will to show those bastards he was better than that. His eyes followed the blonde as he sped up, passing the injured athlete a good thirty meters before the barrier. Just enough to jump clear, leaving him behind.

Zoro smirked slightly. But the smile quickly faded from his face.

The previously scampering runner started running right at Sanji’s back. Just as nothing happened to him at the start, with full speed, not letting the cook leave him behind by an inch. _Just like everything was perfectly fine with him._

They’ve cornered the cook. It only occurred to Zoro now. They’d _planned_ that to happen.

He could only watch with wide eyes as the blonde approached the barrier with perfect timing. Sanji’s lean body leaned forward, preparing for just another of the flawless jumps he’d already done before. Except that now there was someone running right behind him, with no good intentions.

It only took a casual shove to the back. Zoro choked on a gasp when the guy behind the cook simply pushed him forward. No unnecessary hiding, not even trying to make it look like something else than it actually was. _Just some athlete who couldn’t bear the pressure. It happens._

The sound of a bone connecting with the barrier echoed through the stadium.

Zoro knew it was going to haunt him from then on. His eyes trailed over the cook, trying to absorb the fall by falling on his side, but then he noticed Shiryu’s silhouette closing to the barrier.

In the world of athletics, with so little distance between a competitor and a barrier, everything was decided within splits of seconds. Whether to try and jump over the obstacle, while trying to avoid landing on your fallen rival, or try to stop on the barrier and not even risk hurting the already injured athlete.

Zoro could tell that Shiryu was either a real champion at hiding his astonishment, or he wasn’t surprised by the very sudden turn of events at all. Nonetheless, he could see that the guy wasn’t going to stop. But it was only when the athlete in black prepared for the jump when he realised what was coming.

Shiryu wasn’t going to try to avoid the cook while landing. _Just another unfortunate event where the athlete didn’t have the time to react._

He didn’t know what happened in the following splits of seconds, because the next thing he was aware of, his body was moving on its own. Jumping over the railing and rushing to the barrier. But he wasn’t going to make it. 

His eyes followed Shiryu, flying over the barrier and digging his spiked foot into the cook’s lower back, while moving his hands frantically. Zoro’s blood froze in his veins. _Sanji’s scar._

A sharp scream tore the air, drowning out all the other sounds.

Before he knew it, Zoro was already dashing towards the blonde, ignoring the referees shouting something at him. It didn’t matter to him what they were saying. The only thing he cared about at the moment was the cook, lying on the ground and desperately trying to stand up.

“Curlybrow!” Zoro almost shouted, kneeling by his friend. “Stay down, you hear me?”

“I can’t… get up.” Sanji hissed out, squeezing his eyes shut when a jolt of pain ran through his body. “My back… he…”

“I know, I know.” The other teen looked at the small stains of red in the places where the spikes cut through the blonde’s skin. “Don’t move, cook.”

He watched the blonde try to bring himself up on his elbows a couple of times, every time falling down with a sharp cry of pain, tears flowing from his eyes. Zoro felt someone pulling him away from his friend, telling him to get out of the stadium. _A paramedic._

“He can’t get up.” Zoro said frantically, repeating the words until the guy nodded, giving him the sign he understood. “That guy injured his back.”

A tall, slim figure flashed in front of his eyes. _Brook._

“Zoro, get out of here!” The teen almost jolted in place when he heard the coach almost _shout_ at him. “This isn’t a place for athletes who aren’t competing at the moment!”

Zoro knew what that meant. He had to get out, before it was too late to ask the referees to take back his disqualification. It didn’t matter if he’d run already, entering the track while other athletes were competing was absolutely restricted. Even though, his adrenaline-fueled brain didn’t find it too important.

Making sure he wasn’t getting in the way of any of the runners, he left the track and jumped over the railing surrounding it, his eyes never leaving Sanji. Brook kneeled beside the blonde, saying something Zoro was too far to understand. The cook shook his head frantically, tears streaming down his face as he choked out a pained cry.

Soon, another paramedic showed up with a stretcher. Zoro followed the direction the medics and Brook were heading once they managed to place the cook on the material without causing him any more pain than necessary. Other familiar faces flashed in front of him. Nami, a few shades paler than usual, and Robin’s dark eyes. They were both also heading after the old coach and the blonde.

“Miss Nico, please stay with Sanji for a moment.” Brook told the woman, the aura around him resembling nothing of their usually merry, cheerful coach. “I need to speak to an old friend.”

“I’ll go with you.” Zoro said almost instantly, surprised by his own reaction.

“No, you’re staying here.” The coach protested firmly. “You’ve already done enough by storming into the track in the middle of the race.” That said, he turned on his heel, quickly striving forward.

“Teach told me he was surprised that you figured him out when I told the cook to be careful with the barrier!” Zoro raised his voice, spilling the words in one breath, watching the tall man suddenly stop in his tracks. “But he also mentioned you’re not as fast as years ago.”

A moment of silence passed.

“Listen up, Zoro.” Brook’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Those are really serious things you’re saying here. Are you sure that’s _exactly_ what he said?”

“I’m sure of it.” The teen nodded firmy. “He also had that _zehahaha_ laughter.”

“...Come with me.” The coach suddenly said, picking up his pace and storming off the room. “Now!”

Zoro had to admit, keeping up with the long-legged man was quite a challenge, but it wasn’t the thing occupying his mind currently. Brook didn’t seem to pay any attention to him as he made his way right to the stadium, quickly finding Teach standing next to an exhausted Shiryu, who was now - to Zoro’s utter disgust - the official prefecture’s champion.

Before anyone had the chance to react, Brook grabbed Teach by the collar of his tracksuit and pulled him up.

“You’ve planned it!” He raised his voice, a tone so cold and _deadly_ that Zoro for the very first time had to fight the urge to _cower._ The round coach smiled slyly. “You’ve hurt _my_ protege, Teach!”

One of the referees stepped in between the coaches, shoving Brook away from the other coach and telling him to stop if he didn’t want to get _all_ of his athletes disqualified for inappropriate behavior going against the rules of _fair play._ Zoro’s blood started boiling.

“They did it on purpose!” He exclaimed, walking to the coach and piquing his attention. “I was standing right beside that man when he gave the sign to his runners.”

The referee turned to him, but before he had the chance to say something, Brook stepped in between the two of them.

“I have reasons to think my athlete was injured deliberately.” He said, trying to keep his cool. “I insist the referee committee took a closer look at this.”

A moment of silence passed between the three of them before the man in white nodded reluctantly, promising the coach to take a closer look at him. Zoro’s eyes turned to Teach and Shiryu, who were now heading towards the exit of the track. As they were passing him, Zoro heard the round coach’s voice.

“I should thank you, Roronoa.” He said, smirking. “If you hadn't stormed into the track back then, my protege wouldn’t have qualified for the fifteen hundred meters nationals. I sincerely hope parting with the silver won’t be too hard for you.”

Zoro clenched his fists, fighting the strong urge to throw himself at the man. He hated _everything_ about that coach, he represented all the qualities the teen rejected in sport. But he wasn’t going to get provoked so easily. 

Giving in to rage wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t make anyone feel better. It wouldn’t take back the cook’s pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Soo, since it was Sanji's birthday yesterday and I ~~was too lazy~~ have been abandoned by the muse, congratulations and thank you to all the artists/writers/creative folks who managed to pull out their projects just in time. It was great to see all your works, they're wonderful! <3
> 
> Also, I'm not going to ramble over how excited I am because of chapter 1005 because it's a story that has been told a thousand times already. But I have really high hopes for Wano now. _Really_ high. If you want to talk about the chapter or manga/anime in general, just scribble your thoughts down in the comments, I'm open for discussion o////o
> 
> As for the story itself - yeah, in case you wondered if such foul plays are actually possible, please remember that this is fiction and reality can be overstretched in every way here just for the thrill. Also, I had so much fun writing this chapter guys you wouldn't believe it haha  
>  ~~they are~~
> 
> (Also, for all the people who thought it was Enel in the last panel of chapter 1004 - I rooted for you, I really did.)


	5. Introducing a new brilliant doctor - Lady Kureha!

Chopper was in the room when Zoro got back. There was an old lady standing next to him, who - despite being clearly in  _ at least  _ her eighties - was talking to the paramedics in a rather loud and eccentric manner.

“I’m a doctor and he’s my former patient!” She exclaimed, taking a step in Sanji’s direction. “For god’s sake, step away from that child and let me do my work!”

One of the paramedics raised their hands, protesting, but the lady was persuasive. Zoro figured it had to be Lady Kureha, Chopper’s mentor. He watched as she argued - well, more like  _ slowly and steadily kept shoving away from the room  _ \- with the medics until they finally left.

“You’ll have to leave, too.” She said, turning back to Zoro and Robin, who was standing silently behind him. “No audience needed.”

Zoro opened his mouth to protest, but closed it when he felt the coach’s hand on his shoulder.

“We should go, Zoro.” She said calmly. “Sanji’s in good hands. We’ll leave the rest to you, Lady Kureha, Chopper.”

The old woman nodded firmly, turning back to Sanji and fishing in her bag. Chopper smiled weakly at the leaving two, as if trying to assure them everything was going to be fine. Robin mimicked the expression, leading Zoro outside the room and closing the door behind them.

“So, what are you going to do now?” She asked. “Brook is probably talking to the referees not to disqualify you for what you did earlier.”

“He’ll have to be really persuasive to convince them somehow.” Zoro sighed. “But I have no regrets. I guess I’ll just stay here and wait.”

“I see.” Robin nodded slightly, more to herself than him. “I guess I should go and watch over the others. Is it okay if I leave Sanji in your hands?”

“Yes.” The teen nodded, sitting down and leaning his back on the matte glass wall. “I’m not moving anywhere.”

“That’s great to hear.” The coach smiled, bowing her head slightly. “Before I go, Zoro. No matter what happens, I want you to know I couldn’t be more proud of what you did, both as your coach and your acquaintance.”

“...Thank you.” He said, following Robin with his gaze as she walked away. Then, he closed his eyes, trying to meditate.

Zoro was never the type to pry into someone other’s business or eavesdrop, but for some reason when he heard Kureha’s voice, he couldn’t quite stop himself from listening to what she was saying.

“And here we are again.” The woman’s voice was quieter than before. Also, there was some unnamed softness to it. Zoro realised Kureha was probably smiling sadly when saying those words. “I saw what happened, my child. That knee you smashed into the barrier isn’t even a fraction of your problem - even though it’s not in a good shape - and you know it.”

Sanji didn’t say anything, or at least not verbally. Zoro heard the sounds of rustling from inside the room. Possibly, that old woman was looking for something in her bag again.

“You’re really lucky I’m here.” Kureha’s voice split the air again. “But I told you, I won’t be able to fix you for the second time if you did something so dumb again.”

A moment of silence passed.

“...I know.” Sanji spoke up, and took a deep breath before continuing. “I know. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” His voice cracked several times, and Zoro’s eyes widened when he realised the cook was crying.

“All right, calm down.” The old doctor shushed him, her voice warm and full of concern. “It wasn’t your fault, my child. You couldn’t have known this would happen. Now, don’t cry. Chopper and I are here. We’ll help you get back on your feet, just you wait.”

Zoro refused to listen to the rest of their conversation, suddenly feeling as though it was way too private for the old lady and the blonde. He’d heard more than enough already, which only added to his list of regrets. His eyes turned to the stadium, only to notice two familiar figures closing in.

_ Luffy and Nami.  _

“Where’s Sanji?” The raven-haired boy asked. “Is he inside?”

“You can’t go in right now.” Zoro said, standing in between the door and the coming two. “He’s in good hands. Chopper and the old lady are with him.”

“Zoro, what the hell happened?” Nami asked, the tone of her voice unreadable.

“Teach… the Blackbeards.” The teen said, collecting his thoughts. “They’ve had it planned from the start. Brook managed to see through it, but it was already too late.”

“Why would they do that?” Her voice faltered. “Shiryu was going for the silver anyway! He’d qualify for the nationals without any problems. And now, they’ve suspended the other guy for a whole season because of non-fair play behavior.”

Zoro’s eyes widened.

“What about Shiryu?” He asked, suddenly feeling his lungs swell. “Did they also suspend him?”

A moment of silence passed. A moment that told Zoro more than a thousand words.

“The referee committee announced that it was an  _ unintentional accident _ .” Luffy spoke up, his voice full of pent-up anger. The raven-haired boy clenched his fists. “They said he was too close to the barrier to react and that there were no signs of him wanting to hurt Sanji.”

Zoro slammed his fist into the glass wall, feeling immense pain exploding from his knuckles all at once. But it was fine, as long as it restrained the strong urge to go to the Blackbeards and do something he’d regret later.

“So there will be no consequences for him?” He asked, cursing when Nami shook her head slowly. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“I knew something was wrong about the situation when I saw Brook and you went to the other coach after the run…” The redhead clenched her fists. “Because he was  _ furious _ , and I’ve… I’ve never seen him like that before.”

“Brook’s _never_ been mad at anyone.” Luffy said slowly, clenching his teeth. “He’s never been mad, you get it, Zoro?”

“And to think they’ve used that guy as a scapegoat…” Nami huffed, turning her head away.

He watched the two of them stand in silence for a moment, holding back tears or screams, desperately trying not to vent out their emotions. He didn’t know what to do, how to act in such a situation. That bunch of silly weirdos he met a couple of months ago, they were gone. The sudden way they’ve changed not only surprised him, but also pulled a long forgotten string of dread.

If they weren’t in a stadium full of people and the Blackbeards weren’t protected by human rights, Zoro had no idea what those two would be capable of doing to them. Not only because of Sanji, but also because of Brook.

“Zoro, there you are!” Usopp’s frantic voice broke the uprising tension. “Oh, Luffy, Nami, you’re also here.”

“What’s going on, Usopp?” Zoro asked, raising his eyebrows.

“The referees… they agreed on cancelling your disqualification.” The long-nose said. “However, you need to go to them and tell them everything you heard from Shiryu’s coach or what happened later. Their decision depends on it, mind you. I also heard they’re thinking of drawing consequences for the Blackbeard’s coach.”

“They are?” The other teen’s eyes widened. “Usopp, lead the way.”

_ Ah,  _ it struck him all at once. He also felt the same way Luffy and Nami did. He was right beside Brook when he grabbed the other coach by his collar, after all. He was right beside the cook when he couldn’t get up, tears of helplessness and pain running down his face. A part of him screamed for revenge.

He was right there, and yet, everything he could do was watch. Honestly speaking, he was getting sick of it.

* * *

Zoro could feel blood rush to his face as he told the referees everything that he knew happened before the accident. Brook stood by him the whole time, with a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him. The group of men in white in front of them listened to what he said in silence, asked a few questions after and asked him and the coach to leave for a moment.

Seconds turned to minutes, and those felt like hours for Zoro. He sat there, outside the room, staring blankly into the wall in front of him, trying not to think about anything. Because the image of Teach’s round silhouette was enough to make his blood boil.

After a while of waiting, the head referee walked out of the room to tell them the news. Both Brook and him listened to what he had to say in silence. Even though the latter one battled the urge to throw himself at the man in white and shake him until he understood _even though the disqualification wasn’t valid anymore, there_ _was evidence for the Blackbeards’ guilt_ and they _should be punished for it._

* * *

When he got back to the room, the cook was already there.

Zoro honestly didn’t expect to see the blonde there. From what he heard and saw, Sanji should probably be sent home right away to heal in peace, given the extent of his injuries. Yet, there he was, laying in his bed, eyes closed, a calm expression all over his face. Not pained or sad or furious anymore.  _ Peaceful. _

His body didn’t seem in such a good shape, though. Zoro could see that the cook’s knee was swollen, a black bruise spreading all over it. Kureha and Chopper also put it in a knee brace, stabilizing it. But there was more, and Zoro knew they also had to stiffen Sanji’s spine, although whatever they did to the cook was hidden over a loose T-shirt he was wearing.

“You’re back.” The cook’s voice was quieter than ever before.

“I am.” Zoro made his way to the free bed, taking a seat and looking down. He didn’t have the heart to tell the blonde Teach and his proteges weren’t going to bear any consequences. It was so unfair the thought alone filled him with frustration.

“So, did they take back your disqualification?” Sanji asked, opening his eyes and looking at him. “I’m sure Brook and Miss Robin already told you it wasn’t the best idea to enter the track in the middle of a race.”

“They didn’t have to.” The other teen sighed. “But I honestly didn’t care about that.”

“I’d never expect less from a pile of moss.” The cook smiled weakly. “Doing before thinking.”

“I’m sorry, I’m pretty sure you mispronounced  _ thank you for rushing to help me, Zoro. _ ”

“No, I mispronounced  _ you should’ve just stayed on the stands instead of causing all that trouble, moss-for-brains. _ ” The blonde tried to make it sound like a joke, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Neither of them was in the mood to argue at that moment.

A moment of silence passed.

“You warned me.” Sanji said eventually, his eyes sliding over Zoro’s face. “You knew it was going to happen.”

“I didn’t.” The other teen shook his head slowly. “Brook did. He sent me there. And they lured you right into their trap, that’s all. You couldn’t have known or avoided that.”

“I could’ve slowed down.” The cook protested. “Let Shiryu get in front of me and run right behind him.”

“You know it’s bullshit.” Zoro narrowed his eyes. “You did the only logical thing by trying to get past that other guy. You  _ couldn’t  _ have known what was going to happen.”

The blonde sighed slightly, turning on his back and locking his eyes at the ceiling. Zoro caught a glimpse of bandages around his torso as the cook shifted. Looking at them made his throat clench.

“I still have to give you my congratulations.” Sanji looked at him again, his voice a little more confident than before. “You ran a great race today, mosshead. And, you’re going to the nationals.”

“ _ We’re  _ going to the nationals.” Zoro corrected him. “Don’t forget about it. You can still qualify by time, and you most probably will. Remember what Brook said? Two best athletes from each prefecture  _ and  _ two best times overall. The East might not be the strongest in athletics, but you…” He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to say too much. “You’re definitely going there with us. As promised.”

“ _ As promised _ , huh?” The cook echoed. “Perhaps you’re right. A man who can’t keep his word isn’t worth being called as such, is he?”

The other teen remained silent, his eyes trailing over Sanji’s body. The blonde was exhausted, perhaps both from the run and stress and whatever the old lady Kureha did to him. Not to mention he had to be upset. Or furious. Or both. There was no way  _ anyone  _ could get out of something like that unscratched. Not in the case of such an important event.

“How do you feel?” Zoro asked, laying himself down on the bed and turning his head to the cook.

“My back hurts like hell.” The blonde smirked slightly. “But surprisingly, my knee doesn’t. It’s just one, large black bruise. Lady Kureha says it’s going to take a while to heal properly, and only if I find a physiotherapist to keep correcting it along with my spine.”

“You know that’s not what I mean.” The other teen narrowed his eyes. “How do you  _ feel _ ?”

“... _ Oh. _ ” Silence fell in between them for a moment before Sanji spoke up again. “It’s hard to tell to be honest. I guess I’m kind of angry at how things have gone.” He paused for a moment. “But… I’m really sorry for Brook. After all the effort he put in training me…”

The blonde’s voice cracked, but Zoro didn’t interrupt him.

“I feel like I’ve let everyone down.” The cook covered his eyes with his hand, smiling weakly and trying to regain control over his tone. “ _ Everyone _ . The coaches, you guys, _ anyone _ who ever put any hope in me. I haven’t felt in such a way for a long time…”

“You know you didn’t let anyone down.” The other teen said slowly. “Neither Brook, Luffy, Nami, Kureha, me…  _ anyone _ .”

“I know.” Sanji took a sharp breath, holding it in for a moment. “I know, but it still hurts, Zoro.”

Zoro froze for a moment. He couldn’t recall the cook calling him by his name in a long time, if ever actually. But he didn’t comment on it, staying silent as the blonde let tears flow down his cheeks. A younger version of him would probably call Sanji weak for crying over a lost race, but this time, he couldn’t imagine a person acting differently.

Perhaps because it wasn’t just some ordinary race. Big events always came with even bigger emotional baggage.  _ Expectations. Hope.  _ And not only that. The cook hadn’t only  _ not won  _ the race - he got severely injured, to the point where he couldn’t stand up on his own. Only thinking about it was terrifying.

But it wasn’t just as simple as that.  _ Life  _ was never as simple.

“What did Kureha say about your back?” Zoro asked after a moment of silence, once he felt like the blonde had calmed down slightly. “Is it… is it bad?”

“She somehow managed to put me back in one piece.” Sanji said quietly, taking his hand off his face. His eyes and nose had a reddish hue. “Something in my spine moved in the wrong place, but she fixed it. I’ll just have to take a short break and let it heal. Steeplechase can be really rough for an athlete’s back, you know.”

“How long are you going to be out of practice?” The other teen frowned slightly. He didn’t like the idea of the blonde having to quit running.

“A month for now.” The cook spoke it out nonchalantly, but for Zoro, it sounded like a sentence. “That’s given nothing will go wrong. But Lady Kureha said I should be grateful I’ll ever be able to run again anyway.”

“It shouldn’t be like that.” Zooro shook his head slowly. “This… this shouldn’t be happening.”

“And what, you're going to deny reality just because it’s uncomfortable for you?” The corner of Sanji’s mouth went up in a mocking smile. “That’s what crazy people do, you know?”

“So, you’re just going to accept everything that happened so calmly?” The other teen snapped. “You’re going to let it go just like that? Those guys  _ hurt  _ you, cook. They almost made you a cripple permanently, and you’re just going to act like it’s your fault?”

“Don’t talk to me like that.” The cook interrupted him quietly. “Don’t you, of all people, know that anger is a terrible fuel? We’ve already had that conversation before.”

That calmed Zoro’s nerves a little. He knew that every word the blonde had said was the truth, but a rebellious part of him still wanted to prove him wrong somehow. To see that usually calm and composed face twist in anger for the first time since they met, to see Sanji  _ mad  _ at someone.

There were many faces of the blonde he’d already seen - smiling, cold, neutral, charmed by women, blissful, concerned,  _ stained with tears  _ \- but  _ never  _ one that would give away frustration or anger.

“Still, you should know it’s fine to be mad at  _ someone  _ sometimes.” Zoro said slowly, getting up and running a hand through his hair with a yawn. “It’s not a question of a bad day or not tip-top shape. It’s the fault of specific  _ people _ .”

Leaving the cook with those words, he entered the bathroom, quickly stripping down and letting hot water stream down his back. He fought the urge to slam his fist into a wall, knowing the blonde would hear it from the other side.

* * *

No matter how clumsy Luffy might have seemed when looked at through the prism of daily life, the person competing in the long jump was  _ flawless _ .

Both his arms and legs seemed to stretch in the air, making no unnecessary moves, letting the raven-haired boy fly higher, further than anyone else. Zoro watched in a mixture of awe and amazement how his friend left all the other contestants far behind, winning his event by a landslide.

That was just the way Luffy was. Never really speaking about his jumps, calling everyone else  _ cool  _ just like he was some ordinary, mediocre athlete himself. And then, crushing his opponents with one, two jumps so long even the referees exchanged confused looks.

“He actually got tested for doping a few times at bigger events.” Sanji told him, sitting on one of the few free chairs on the stands and smiling slightly. “Especially at the very beginning. No one believed a guy looking like him could jump so far.”

“Somehow, I can imagine that.” Zoro nodded, glancing at the blonde briefly.

The good news was that the cook was able to walk and move around the whole place freely, without having to ask anyone for help - which he probably wouldn’t have done anyway, given his lion pride. The bad ones, he was limping, quite badly, so they had to put him into crutches. 

Despite claiming the bruised knee didn’t hurt him at all, there had to be something about it. But neither Kureha or Chopper mentioned it when they met earlier, so Zoro assumed they knew what they were doing.

“And he’s always so calm about what he’s doing.” Sanji added, lost in his thoughts. “It’s like he’s never stressed out about his performance. He’s a natural.”

“If  _ he  _ isn’t, I’d rather not think about who a  _ natural  _ would be.” The other teen hummed. “That would be scary.”

“There are people like that, you know.” The cook said, a strange note in his voice. “They’re like machines. No matter how much you try to keep up with them, there’s always an abyss between you. As though they were born on the other side of a wall which separates true talents from others.”

Zoro let a moment of silence pass. He’d never thought about sport in such categories, mostly because he believed in the power of hard work, but what the cook was saying was true to some point. There were many things that made an athlete. First of all, their coach - the person responsible for one’s training plan - was the key to success in many cases.

Second, aspirations to become a professional athlete. To make a living out of it. It meant a lot of devotion to sport, often costing precious time and energy. Sooner or later, everyone had to choose. The athletics, or everything else.

Talent was only the third factor. Potential - smaller or larger - usually showed up among athletes, and it was mostly those with predispositions for the given discipline that decided to stick to sport as a way of life. But there was more to it. There was a thin border regarding how much one could achieve in sport. Individual for everyone.

Hard work alone was always enough to become brilliant in what one was doing. True perfection, though, was unachievable without what people commonly called  _ talent _ . 

“Don’t walk in the clouds now, mosshead.” Sanji’s voice stopped Zoro’s train of thoughts. “We should go down there and congratulate our champion. He deserves it.”

He watched the cook get up from his seat and pass him by, clearly avoiding putting any pressure on his injured leg or spine with every step. The tracksuit hid the bandages and dressings, but Zoro couldn’t unsee them every time his eyes slid over the blonde’s body. Just as his heart refused to listen to him and  _ not  _ clench at the very thought of what his friend was going through.

Luffy - as always - greeted both of them with a wide grin plastered to his face, pouring some honey onto Zoro’s mind and nerves. There was something about the raven-haired boy that made him strangely calm whenever he was around.

“Zoro! Sanji!” He exclaimed, running to them and only hesitating from throwing himself at them in the last moment. “I’m so glad you’re there. Have you seen my jumps? I felt so good today!”

“You were amazing, Luffy.” Sanji said, patting the raven-haired boy on his shoulder and smiling genuinely. “You totally owned that event today. Great job.”

“Thanks!” Luffy chuckled, clearly proud of himself and happy to see both of them right after his victory. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you guys watching me, so no matter if I fell on my face or sprained my ankle, I was going to keep our promise and do my best. Everyone’s been giving it their all since yesterday, so I didn’t want to fall behind you.”

“Don’t worry, you didn’t.” The cook chuckled. Zoro noticed - not without surprisement - that the laughter wasn’t forced in any way. The blonde was probably amused by Luffy’s thoughtlessness. “What you did was awesome. I’m sure Brook is really proud of you.”

“I hope he is!” Luffy said, the smile slowly fading away from his face. “But I heard that he hasn’t been feeling too well since yesterday. I think he’s worried about you, Sanji.”

“Well, he should concentrate on his other athletes a little, too.” The blonde said with a mischievous smirk, looking at Zoro. “After all, he’s got two golds and a  _ silver  _ under his wings."

“You’ve got a problem with coming in second, huh?” Zoro said slowly, cocking an eyebrow and being unable to hold back a smile. “I didn’t expect your poor sense of humor to come back so fast, you know?”

“Always at your service, moss-for-brains.”

“Come on, Sanji.” Luffy interrupted them with a smile. “You know Brook likes you a lot. I’m sure he’s happy about Franky, Zoro and me. But he’d rather shave his afro than let anyone get away with doing anything to us. That’s just the type of person he is.”

“You’re right.” The cook nodded slightly, taking out his phone and checking the time. “We should get going. Your medal ceremony starts soon, Luffy, and then there’s also Usopp’s start. We need to cheer him on a little, right?”

“Totally.” The raven-haired boy’s eyes shone. “He’s had that accident with his knee two weeks ago and I think he’s still thinking about it.”

“We’ll do our best to reason with him on that matter.” Sanji said, tugging at the sleeve of Zoro’s tracksuit and turning to him. “Let’s go, moss-for-brains. Congratulations once more, Luffy!”

It took them a while of circling around the warm-up hall to finally find their missing friend, doing some skippings and preparing for sprints. It was only about five minutes before they’d lead Usopp’s run to the stadium. Zoro’s eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed how sluggish his friend’s moves were. 

Not only was he stressed out. If he were, the other teen would’ve been able to tell. But there was that unnamed factor to the way Usopp was doing the exercises, his head down, that made Zoro’s body move on his own.

He wasn’t going to have his friend break before the race even started.

“There you are.” He said when they finally approached the long-nose, grabbing him by his collar instantly. “Having fun?”

“Wha… what?” Usopp frowned slightly, but as the other teen stared into his eyes, he saw fear and haze. Not determination.

“Hey, what the hell, mosshead?” Sanji protested from behind his back, but Zoro left his words behind, focusing on the long-nose.

“What do you think you’re doing moving around like a shadow?” He asked, frowning. “That’s how you show your respect for the coach and other athletes? For us?”

“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.” The long-nose said, pushing Zoro’s hand away. “But I’m trying to warm-up before my run, and you’re in the way.”

“Luffy told us you were still going easy on your knee there.” The other teen’s eyes slid down. “You’re not thinking about backing off right now, are you?”

“Of course I’m not!” Usopp exclaimed, narrowing his eyes. “I’m going to do my best. It’s true that I’m concerned about my knee, because it hurts. And if you’re finished, I’ve got an important contest to prepare for."

“And what will you do if it gives up during the race?” Zoro asked, making his friend stop in his tracks.

“...What?” The long-nose asked, his eyes lighting up.

“I asked, what if your knee gives up somewhere in the middle of the race.” The other teen replied calmly. “Will you slow down? Stop? Say it was just a bad accident?” 

He pointed his head at Sanjii. 

“That guy literally got run over by his rival trying to do his best and make Brook proud. The first thing he did after? He tried to stand up and go after Shiryu. With a fucking  _ fractured  _ spine. You’re trying to tell me you wouldn’t do the same for Brook?”

All at once, he saw Usopp’s eyes sparken up, his whole body straightening up as the long-nose inhaled deeply. A moment of silence passed and Zoro could feel the tension between them rise. No one spoke up until Usopp made the first move, stepping forward and passing the cook and Zoro by.

“There’s no way the Great Usopp will run any less than perfect today.” He said quietly, and the other teen could swear he heard him smirk slightly. “Thanks a lot, Zoro. I feel like today’s going to be my day. You guys better not miss the moment I cross the finish line fifty meters before the others.”

“We surely won’t.” Zoro nodded with approval, watching his friend go to the referees calling the eight hundred meters men athletes. He stayed like that for a moment, until he heard the cook chuckle.

“That was definitely the strangest motivational talk I’ve ever heard.” Sanji said, raising his eyebrows. “You know you just told him to permanently damage his knee if it means victory?”

“You know it wasn’t like that.” The other teen smirked, shaking his head. “I just gave him the push he needed. He’s not going to do anything dumb. No matter how much he loves the stories about his greatness, he’s not an unreasonable man.”

“Point taken.” The cook nodded, turning his head to the stands. “I don’t really have the willpower or energy to climb back there. How about we watch the run from the barriers? Given the referees will let you anywhere near them after what you did yesterday?”

Zoro only chuckled at the remark.

* * *

Usopp was going strong in his run, quickly making it to the small group of top three contestants. It didn’t look like he was going to give in to any of the athletes running with him, his eyes fixed on the finish line whenever it came in sight.

But, as things tend to happen in athletics, one can never say they’ve won before they’ve crossed the finish line.

It was about half a lap before the end. Sanji noticed it first. The way the long-nose’s leg bent under him suddenly, making him lose his balance. It took another three steps for Zoro to see it too. How Usopp was slowly being left behind by the other two, his run turning into a half-limping, quick motion.

The homestretch welcomed the long-nose a good twenty meters behind the leading two. Zoro saw the determination in his eyes fading away slightly. But Usopp couldn’t give up yet. The race wasn’t over.  _ Everything  _ could happen.

“I can’t believe this had to happen in a moment like this.” He said quietly, more like mouthing the words to himself.

“I reckon it happened a long time ago.” Sanji shook his head slowly, his eyes plastered to their running friend. “I think he started feeling the pain shortly after the start. It just became unbearable now. His leg shut down.”

“But he’s still trying, isn’t he?” The other teen mused, watching Usopp cross the finish line in third place.  _ The worst place. _

“We should probably go there.”

“Should we?” Zoro cocked an eyebrow. “Do you think he needs our pity right now?” 

The blonde hesitated for a moment, letting silence fall in between them.

“I think…” He said eventually. “That he shouldn’t be alone right now.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback highly appreciated.  
> Weekly updates on Wednesdays!


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